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Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Alternative belief systems > Syncretist & eclectic religions & belief systems > Post-renaissance syncretist / eclectic systems
Today's orthodox notions of science--which is to say, of
knowing--are exceedingly narrow; they posit, implicitly or
otherwise, that the only knowledge possible, if any, is that of the
physical world. But the skeleton key to unlocking the door, behind
which lies the root of the problems and difficulties of our age,
and thus their solution, is to be able to fully answer this
question: What is it to know something? This question lies at the
foundation of spiritual science. Rudolf Steiner had first to solve
it for himself, pointing the way for others to do the same (in, for
example, his Philosophy of Freedom), long before he could give such
lectures as these. Rudolf Steiner's work and words, still largely
undiscovered as compared to their value for humanity, continue to
point the way toward a different path--a way of knowing that
encompasses the fullness, the breadth and depth of life and the
worlds we inhabit. This knowing--which is to say, science--does not
ignore or even contradict the narrower physical sciences of
technologists and other specialists, but offers an expansive
understanding of reality that also includes a deeper engagement
with those aspects of our experience that we are told are beyond
the ken of science. But is truth not accessible through art? Are
poetry and literature, indeed the beauty and wisdom of each human
language, not portals through which we can glimpse truths, every
bit as real (though of a different order) than those we might grasp
through a microscope? These thirteen lectures were given in
Dornach, Switzerland, from January to May 1915, between the fifth
and ninth month of World War I. Given the interrupted, fragmented
nature of this sequence, one might assume that the lectures could
not possibly present a tight, coherent whole. This is not the case.
Rudolf Steiner lays down the framework for the series in a concise
but detailed manner in the first two lectures, and then goes on to
demonstrate in lecture after lecture how, on this basis, many
aspects of life reveal the hidden presence and activities of the
realities--and the approach--he has established in the framework.
In fact, it is humbling to witness Rudolf Steiner's powers of
attention and presence of mind: to see how, after a significant
interval, in the same tone of voice and with seamless continuity,
he can pick up and further develop and interweave his announced
intention: namely, to provide "a detailed look at things we have
been considering for years."
Contemporary life is so deeply reliant upon digital technology that
the computer has come to dominate almost every aspect of our
culture. What is the philosophical and spiritual significance of
this dependence on electronic technology, both for our relationship
to nature and for the future of humanity? And, what processes in
human perception and awareness have produced the situation we find
ourselves in? As Jeremy Naydler elucidates in this penetrating
study, we cannot understand the emergence of the computer without
seeing it within the wider context of the evolution of human
consciousness, which has taken place over millennia. Modern
consciousness, he shows, has evolved in conjunction with the
development of machines and under their intensifying shadow. The
computer was the product of a long historical development,
culminating in the scientific revolution of the 17th century. It
was during this period that the first mechanical calculators were
invented and the project to create more complex `thinking machines'
began in earnest. But the seeds were sown many hundreds of years
earlier, deep in antiquity. Naydler paints a vast panorama
depicting human development and the emergence of electronic
technology. His painstaking research illuminates an urgent question
that concerns every living person today: What does it mean to be
human and what, if anything, distinguishes us from machines?
In addition to the outer manifestation of Christianity as we know
it from history, there exists a second, hidden stream of Christian
thought and development, sometimes referred to as Esoteric
Christianity or Rosicrucian Christianity. Displaying an intimate
knowledge of his subject, Rudolf Steiner throws light on this once
secret spiritual movement. But rather than relying on historical
tradition or teaching, he presents wisdom and insight directly from
the original metaphysical sources of esoteric Christian
inspiration.
In these dynamic lectures, Steiner describes the influence of
Christ's power throughout history, the workings of karma, the role
of the Buddha and the Bodhisattvas, as well as the vital work of
Christian Rosenkreutz and other historical figures such as Jeshu
ben Pandira. This new edition -- indispensable for serious students
of esotericism -- contains for the first time all 23 lectures and
addresses of the original German collection. It features previously
scattered, classic lectures such as "The Etherisation of the
Blood", "Faith, Love, Hope" and "Cosmic Ego and Human Ego".
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Thought-Forms
(Paperback)
C.W. Leadbeater; Edited by Dennis Logan; Annie Besant
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R514
Discovery Miles 5 140
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Ships in 10 - 15 working days
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In the uncertainty following the end of the First World War, Rudolf
Steiner perceived a unique opportunity to establish a healthy
social and political constitution. He began lecturing throughout
post-war Germany, often to large audiences, about his social ideas.
Here, speaking to a more intimate grouping at the Goetheanum in
Dornach, Switzerland, Steiner seeks to deepen the themes of social
threefolding, showing specifically how new social thinking is
integral to anthroposophy. Steiner speaks of the superficiality of
the materialistic view of history, originating with the economic
shift amongst the population at the time of the Reformation. Back
in Egyptian-Chaldean times, initiates ruled out of spiritual
impulses. Later, in the Greco-Roman period, priests had power over
their congregations. Today, homo economicus - or `economic man' -
has become the dominant idea, with the capitalist and the banker
taking control. But the healing of social relationships can only
come about through different modes of thought; the life of spirit
must be separated not only from politics but also from economics.
True social understanding allows for comprehension of karma - the
appreciation of each person's individual destiny. In parallel, says
Steiner, we should work towards a global consciousness, as true
social ideas are founded on people feeling themselves to be
citizens of the world. In an important corollary, Steiner studies
the incarnations of three significant spiritual beings in human
evolution: Lucifer, Christ and Ahriman. Lucifer incarnated in the
third pre-Christian millennium, Christ incarnated at the dawn of a
new age, whilst an incarnation of Ahriman in the West is immanent.
Ahriman is preparing this incarnation by insidiously promoting
various ideas, for example that economic security is sufficient for
healthy public life. A new wisdom must be achieved out of free
human will, says Steiner, or else we will succumb to Ahriman.
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