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Rudolf Steiner: An Introduction to His Life and Work
The first truly popular biography of the influential twentieth-century mystic and educator who-while widely known for founding the Waldorf schools and other educational and humanitarian movements-remains a mystery to many who benefit from his ideas.
People everywhere have heard of Waldorf schools, Biodynamic farming, Camphill Villages, and other innovations of the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925). Indeed, Steiner—as an architect, artist, teacher, and agriculturalist—ranks among the most creative and prolific figures of the early twentieth century, pioneering work in alternative education, holistic health, and environmental research.
While his accomplishments are felt all over the world, few people understand this unusual figure. Steiner's own writings and lectures fill several bookcases, intimidating those who would like to know more. Works on Steiner are often dense and "insider" in tone, further deterring the curious. No popular biography, written by a sympathetic but critical outsider, has been available.
Gary Lachman's Rudolf Steiner provides this missing introduction. Along with telling Steiner's story and placing Steiner in his historical context, Lachman's book presents Steiner's key ideas in a readable, accessible manner. In particular, Lachman considers the spread of Steiner's most popular projects, which include Waldorf schools-one of the leading forms of alternative education-and Biodynamic farming-a popular precursor to organic farming. He also traces Steiner's beginnings as a young intellectual in the ferment of fin de siécle culture, to his rise as a thought leader within the influential occult movement of Theosophy, to the founding of his own metaphysical teaching called Anthroposophy.
Finally, the book illustrates how Steiner's methods are put into practice today, and relates Steiner's insights into cosmology to the work of current thinkers.
Rudolf Steiner is a full-bodied portrait of one of the most original philosophical and spiritual luminaries of the last two centuries, and gives those interested in the history of ideas the opportunity to discover one of the most underappreciated figures of the twentieth century.
People everywhere have heard of Waldorf schools, Biodynamic farming, Camphill Villages, and other innovations of the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925). Indeed, Steiner—as an architect, artist, teacher, and agriculturalist—ranks among the most creative and prolific figures of the early twentieth century, pioneering work in alternative education, holistic health, and environmental research.
While his accomplishments are felt all over the world, few people understand this unusual figure. Steiner's own writings and lectures fill several bookcases, intimidating those who would like to know more. Works on Steiner are often dense and "insider" in tone, further deterring the curious. No popular biography, written by a sympathetic but critical outsider, has been available.
Gary Lachman's Rudolf Steiner provides this missing introduction. Along with telling Steiner's story and placing Steiner in his historical context, Lachman's book presents Steiner's key ideas in a readable, accessible manner. In particular, Lachman considers the spread of Steiner's most popular projects, which include Waldorf schools-one of the leading forms of alternative education-and Biodynamic farming-a popular precursor to organic farming. He also traces Steiner's beginnings as a young intellectual in the ferment of fin de siécle culture, to his rise as a thought leader within the influential occult movement of Theosophy, to the founding of his own metaphysical teaching called Anthroposophy.
Finally, the book illustrates how Steiner's methods are put into practice today, and relates Steiner's insights into cosmology to the work of current thinkers.
Rudolf Steiner is a full-bodied portrait of one of the most original philosophical and spiritual luminaries of the last two centuries, and gives those interested in the history of ideas the opportunity to discover one of the most underappreciated figures of the twentieth century.
304 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2007
56 people are currently reading
704 people want to read
About the author
Gary Lachman
62 books455 followersGary Lachman is an American writer and musician. Lachman is best known to readers of mysticism and the occult from the numerous articles and books he has published.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
May 21, 2009
Perhaps I was simply messed up as an early adolescent. While others around me sought speaker system upgrades for their cars or moments of numb bliss through substances, I was slowly building a small library of P.D. Ouspensky, G.I. Gurdjieff and Jiddu Krishnamurti. The rationale escapes me for why I decided to pull the trigger on Amazon, July 15th 2005 to order Freedom from the Known by Krishnamurti. That simple act has had profound ramifications on my life and the lives of those around me. Simply put, the me you know today would not have existed without this action. Concepts such as dying psychologically every moment to remove the anxiety of the future and the weight of the past, knowing that reflections of my inner world are manifest in people around me, understanding that the world cannot change until I change and that belief is the outcome is fear are revolutionary concepts to many, especially to an eighteen year old. It has been said that recognition of truth is the intersection of external perception and internal reality and Krishnamurti’s thought rang as a refreshing breath of fresh air to the mundane world of injustice around me. These words rang as truth to me.
After years of contemplative thought on these ideas, I was caught up in learning the history of Krishnamurti and his involvement in the odd Theosophical movement around the turn of the century, which led me to Steiner. Side note: One of my favorite stories became the account of how Krishnamurti told everyone he wasn’t the new Messiah.
In the first half of the 1900’s, counter to Krishnamurti in the east, the spiritual revival in the west was catalyzed by Rudolph Steiner. I often ponder what form our modern world could have taken if the practical ideas of these deep thinkers were not interrupted by decades of war… but that discussion is for another time. When I first read Steiner’s How to Know Higher Worlds I was struck with the same power of pure original thought as with Krishnamurti. The practices for spiritual development as an aspect of my individual responsibility was an important understanding. Steiner was telling us that even if we never sought esoteric knowledge, integrating values of patience, reverence, open-mindedness, respect and tranquility would have far reaching effects in positive ways otherwise. The process for developing these principles have been crucial to my foundation towards becoming a psychologically free person. I sought to learn more about the man behind these concepts as I discovered a rich heritage of agricultural methods, curative education and alternative schooling. Gary Lachman’s biography on Steiner proved an excellent guide through the enigma of a truly spectacular man. Tracing Steiner’s development in rural Austria, to Vienna, through Germany and ultimately as Theosophical hero and finally as founder of Anthrosophy, Lachman’s approach renewed my excitement about the period of spiritual revival at the turn of the century.
goetheanum1
Steiner designed many buildings but none as spectacular as the first Goetheanum which burned shortly after WW1
Summarizing a career as broad and spectacular as Steiner’s is no easy feat. As Lachman describes in the introduction,
Steiner’s ideas about consciousness, the nature of thought and the relationship between the mind and the external world were, quite literally, revoluationary, and they had me rethinking the history of Western philosophy. Yet I could turn to another lecture and there Steiner would tell me about reading to the dead or about the work of the Buddha on Mars…and a kind of ‘Tilt’ sign would light up in my brain
Practical revolutionary practices, followed by seemingly zany and impossible claims. Can we remove the parts we like from Steiner’s amazing body of work while dissecting the imaginative but bizarre accounts of reincarnation, death and spiritual beings? I don’t know if we can, curative education, biodynamic farming and Waldorf Schools have yielded amazing results but are ultimately based on Steiner’s perceptions of the spirit world. Quite a paradox.
What I appreciated the most about Lachman’s work were his attempts to summarize the most revolutionary concepts from Steiner’s writings and lectures which, to my knowledge, these summaries were successful and are important in their own right. The balanced approach towards Steiner’s life is equally important, I feel like I could pass this book along to a friend to introduce Steiner’s ideas without scaring them off when they would have reached Steiner’s dissertations on Atlantis, Lemuria, Ahriman Jesus and Lucifer in his original works. Steiner may be ridiculed by the more rational among us, especially the evangelists of materialism, yet he had insights almost a hundred years ago that are only prepared to receive. He was one of the most important thinkers of the 20th century. Yet it is a puzzle why few recognize his Philosophy of Freedom as such a seminal work.
Some of the ideas I found most important included the concept that our eyes may perceive a world that is a simple, immediate perception yet really that world is already infused with the content of our inner world. That the world is merely physical and absolute is half the equation. Descartes sitting and contemplating was failing to contemplate that his perceptions were already influenced by himself. Steiner wrote,
When one who has a rich mental life sees a thousand things which are nothing to the mentally poor, this show as clearly as sunlight that the content of reality is only the reflection of the content of our minds
Additionally he argued that our cognition and awareness is not something extra, tacked on to our biology. Our knowledge of the world is part of the world, as important as our life is to the ecosystem. This isn’t new age jargon, it is an argument against Kant’s limits to knowledge. Steiner challenged humanity in the same way as Nietzsche, that there is more to the human than we can ever imagine. Yet Steiner took it a step farther to say that there were no limits to knowledge other than those set by laziness. Through a focus on timeless ideas and growth/creation process of the world around us, we can develop the active imagining most humans fail to curate.
The thoughts I shared above are just the top layer of a deep career filled with thousands of lectures and revolutionary concepts. At the end, I had to conclude for myself that the fundamental practical solutions Steiner offered cannot be accepted if the tremendous imagination of his mind is ignored. This account of Steiner’s life is the perfect introduction to the most important philosopher you’ve never read.
After years of contemplative thought on these ideas, I was caught up in learning the history of Krishnamurti and his involvement in the odd Theosophical movement around the turn of the century, which led me to Steiner. Side note: One of my favorite stories became the account of how Krishnamurti told everyone he wasn’t the new Messiah.
In the first half of the 1900’s, counter to Krishnamurti in the east, the spiritual revival in the west was catalyzed by Rudolph Steiner. I often ponder what form our modern world could have taken if the practical ideas of these deep thinkers were not interrupted by decades of war… but that discussion is for another time. When I first read Steiner’s How to Know Higher Worlds I was struck with the same power of pure original thought as with Krishnamurti. The practices for spiritual development as an aspect of my individual responsibility was an important understanding. Steiner was telling us that even if we never sought esoteric knowledge, integrating values of patience, reverence, open-mindedness, respect and tranquility would have far reaching effects in positive ways otherwise. The process for developing these principles have been crucial to my foundation towards becoming a psychologically free person. I sought to learn more about the man behind these concepts as I discovered a rich heritage of agricultural methods, curative education and alternative schooling. Gary Lachman’s biography on Steiner proved an excellent guide through the enigma of a truly spectacular man. Tracing Steiner’s development in rural Austria, to Vienna, through Germany and ultimately as Theosophical hero and finally as founder of Anthrosophy, Lachman’s approach renewed my excitement about the period of spiritual revival at the turn of the century.
goetheanum1
Steiner designed many buildings but none as spectacular as the first Goetheanum which burned shortly after WW1
Summarizing a career as broad and spectacular as Steiner’s is no easy feat. As Lachman describes in the introduction,
Steiner’s ideas about consciousness, the nature of thought and the relationship between the mind and the external world were, quite literally, revoluationary, and they had me rethinking the history of Western philosophy. Yet I could turn to another lecture and there Steiner would tell me about reading to the dead or about the work of the Buddha on Mars…and a kind of ‘Tilt’ sign would light up in my brain
Practical revolutionary practices, followed by seemingly zany and impossible claims. Can we remove the parts we like from Steiner’s amazing body of work while dissecting the imaginative but bizarre accounts of reincarnation, death and spiritual beings? I don’t know if we can, curative education, biodynamic farming and Waldorf Schools have yielded amazing results but are ultimately based on Steiner’s perceptions of the spirit world. Quite a paradox.
What I appreciated the most about Lachman’s work were his attempts to summarize the most revolutionary concepts from Steiner’s writings and lectures which, to my knowledge, these summaries were successful and are important in their own right. The balanced approach towards Steiner’s life is equally important, I feel like I could pass this book along to a friend to introduce Steiner’s ideas without scaring them off when they would have reached Steiner’s dissertations on Atlantis, Lemuria, Ahriman Jesus and Lucifer in his original works. Steiner may be ridiculed by the more rational among us, especially the evangelists of materialism, yet he had insights almost a hundred years ago that are only prepared to receive. He was one of the most important thinkers of the 20th century. Yet it is a puzzle why few recognize his Philosophy of Freedom as such a seminal work.
Some of the ideas I found most important included the concept that our eyes may perceive a world that is a simple, immediate perception yet really that world is already infused with the content of our inner world. That the world is merely physical and absolute is half the equation. Descartes sitting and contemplating was failing to contemplate that his perceptions were already influenced by himself. Steiner wrote,
When one who has a rich mental life sees a thousand things which are nothing to the mentally poor, this show as clearly as sunlight that the content of reality is only the reflection of the content of our minds
Additionally he argued that our cognition and awareness is not something extra, tacked on to our biology. Our knowledge of the world is part of the world, as important as our life is to the ecosystem. This isn’t new age jargon, it is an argument against Kant’s limits to knowledge. Steiner challenged humanity in the same way as Nietzsche, that there is more to the human than we can ever imagine. Yet Steiner took it a step farther to say that there were no limits to knowledge other than those set by laziness. Through a focus on timeless ideas and growth/creation process of the world around us, we can develop the active imagining most humans fail to curate.
The thoughts I shared above are just the top layer of a deep career filled with thousands of lectures and revolutionary concepts. At the end, I had to conclude for myself that the fundamental practical solutions Steiner offered cannot be accepted if the tremendous imagination of his mind is ignored. This account of Steiner’s life is the perfect introduction to the most important philosopher you’ve never read.
March 21, 2012
This is a decent introduction to Steiner's life and work. It is most valuable because it is written by someone who is interested in Steiner, but is not an anthroposophist or Steiner devotee. Most books about Steiner seem to be written by fans or foes, so it is difficult to get an unbiased perspective. This is likely the closest that one can get. Lachman is interested in Steiner and admires him, but has enough professional distance to write a balanced account of Steiner's life and contributions to education, philosophy, science, medicine, farming and architecture. Steiner was a true Renaissance Man whose ideas and work are just as relevant today as they were in WWI-era Europe. Lachman recognizes this and writes a thoroughly researched biography of a fascinating and inspired man.
May 14, 2008
“Rudolf Steiner – An introduction to his life and work” by Gary Lachman
(Gary Valentine Lachman was one of the founding members of the band Blondie)
This book flows. It is an unfolding of a wonderful inner world of thought sequences of the writer who is following the development of Rudolf Steiner’s legacy.
He is discussing the world of the spirit, without reserve as a reality. His general knowledge is illustrated by the writer’s scholarly approach and is displaying his ability of conveying other philosophers content when illustrating Rudolf Steiner’s younger years.
Whilst mapping out Steiner’s amazing reach of topics and the issues Steiner developed in his life, Lachman at the same time gives a colourful, human description of Steiner’s person and life.
He is certainly not restrained and expresses his own struggle in comprehending some of Steiner’s challenging statements. But he has found a way of introducing the development of Rudolf Steiner’s ‘science of the spirit’ along the lines of conversations and observations of other philosophers and creating a Socrates type of dialogue in order to gain clarity.
For Steiner, Gary Lachman writes, there were two kinds of things: those that were “seen” and those that were “not seen”. Both were real. The things “not seen”, meaning not grasped by the senses, weren’t fantasies, they were inner events, taking place on a kind of interior stage, the soul. For example, although no perfect triangle (or circle, or square) exists in nature, the idea of a triangle has as much existence as any physical thing of a triangular shape. What is more, we all observe mentally the same triangle.
For Steiner, ideas were the “shadows” of spiritual realities; meaning that ideas were realities in themselves. In a nutshell, similarly as grasping through inner effort the reality of an ideal triangle, we can develop the ability to grasp the reality of other areas of spiritual realities. The works of Steiner take an effort to read because his intention is to awaken the reader to this process of developing awareness of spiritual realities through rigorous thinking exercises and Gary Lachman writes that Steiner’s message can seem as such austere and unattractive for readers who associate spirituality with vague feelings and well-meaning but mushy sentimentality.
I was pleased to read Lachman’s active interest in pursueing Steiner’s claim of having developed a scientific process towards an understanding of spiritual realities. A path that every human being can follow out of their own free will and that it stands in contrast to the mystic approach of previous times.
And at the same time I can sympathise with Gary Lachman’s line "The idea of 'higher consciousness' isn't unfamiliar to me, although, sad to say, I know more about it from reading than from actual experience"
(Gary Valentine Lachman was one of the founding members of the band Blondie)
This book flows. It is an unfolding of a wonderful inner world of thought sequences of the writer who is following the development of Rudolf Steiner’s legacy.
He is discussing the world of the spirit, without reserve as a reality. His general knowledge is illustrated by the writer’s scholarly approach and is displaying his ability of conveying other philosophers content when illustrating Rudolf Steiner’s younger years.
Whilst mapping out Steiner’s amazing reach of topics and the issues Steiner developed in his life, Lachman at the same time gives a colourful, human description of Steiner’s person and life.
He is certainly not restrained and expresses his own struggle in comprehending some of Steiner’s challenging statements. But he has found a way of introducing the development of Rudolf Steiner’s ‘science of the spirit’ along the lines of conversations and observations of other philosophers and creating a Socrates type of dialogue in order to gain clarity.
For Steiner, Gary Lachman writes, there were two kinds of things: those that were “seen” and those that were “not seen”. Both were real. The things “not seen”, meaning not grasped by the senses, weren’t fantasies, they were inner events, taking place on a kind of interior stage, the soul. For example, although no perfect triangle (or circle, or square) exists in nature, the idea of a triangle has as much existence as any physical thing of a triangular shape. What is more, we all observe mentally the same triangle.
For Steiner, ideas were the “shadows” of spiritual realities; meaning that ideas were realities in themselves. In a nutshell, similarly as grasping through inner effort the reality of an ideal triangle, we can develop the ability to grasp the reality of other areas of spiritual realities. The works of Steiner take an effort to read because his intention is to awaken the reader to this process of developing awareness of spiritual realities through rigorous thinking exercises and Gary Lachman writes that Steiner’s message can seem as such austere and unattractive for readers who associate spirituality with vague feelings and well-meaning but mushy sentimentality.
I was pleased to read Lachman’s active interest in pursueing Steiner’s claim of having developed a scientific process towards an understanding of spiritual realities. A path that every human being can follow out of their own free will and that it stands in contrast to the mystic approach of previous times.
And at the same time I can sympathise with Gary Lachman’s line "The idea of 'higher consciousness' isn't unfamiliar to me, although, sad to say, I know more about it from reading than from actual experience"
April 4, 2018
If you would like to understand how Steiner became who he became, this is an excellent book. Author is measured, thoughtful, helpful and knowledgeable of the field
April 30, 2012
A good friend loaned me a volume of Steiner’s lectures and once I started reading I was completely aground with incomprehension by page three. Deciding that I needed some background material on Steiner I purchased Lachman’s book. I’m not a great fan of biographies but this book is excellent; exactly what I needed to get a foot in the door. For me, it has the perfect balance of biographical detail and philosophical discussion. This book won’t make you an expert on Steiner, theosophy, or anthroposophy but after reading this book you should feel like you can hold up your end of the conversation on these subjects and be comfortable with reading Steiner’s works. If you are looking for a “Steiner for Dummies” introductory level book, this is the one for you.
March 12, 2019
I've been working at a Camphill village in Norway since September at a house for the elderly with severe mental and physical handicaps. I went into this work with no experience, and no knowledge of the Steiner philosophy. Therefore, it's been a great adventure to learn all about anthroposophy, and I've been fascinated by its various elements continuously. I've tried to soak up all I could from talking to the people that've worked in the village for a long time, and by reading the books I've found lying about. This book was lent to me by someone at the house, and I'm so glad I read it. It's a great introduction to Rudolph Steiner that answers a lot of the questions I've had about the enigmatic man. The book is well written from a very balanced perspective, and guides the reader through various elements of the man's life. It made me realise how influential he truly was, and how his work still lives on in villages such as the one I'm in. It's a fascinating philosophy he created, and it truly has something for everyone from caretaking, medicine, to religion. I can't wait to keep learning about the man and his legacy.
January 17, 2026
One of Steiner’s first spiritual experiences was his discovery of GEOMETRY, which convinced him that the idea of, say, a perfect triangle has as much existence as any physical thing of triangular shape.
This meant the spiritual world can be accessed by THOUGHT, not just by vague feelings.
Important, too, was his discovery of GOETHE, who had actually SEEN the Urpflanze, the archetypal plant from which all other plants developed.
Steiner fervently believed in the reality of the ‘I’, and was infuriated by the view of Schopenhauer and Eduard von Hartmann that it’s an illusion, and that we are part of one great Will.
Nevertheless, he learnt much from those he disagreed with:
‘I was never inclined to withhold my admiration for what I consider great, even when I absolutely opposed it.’
This open-minded approach was to earn him enemies, however, when people mistook the viewpoints he discussed for his own.
He respected an honest materialist more than a smug man of religion.
He believed that even materialists could attain the spiritual worlds after death if their motives had been SINCERE, as the pursuit of TRUTH is of greater spiritual value than unquestioned dogmatic belief.
He visited Nietzsche during the latter’s brain-damaged final years, and saw ‘Nietzsche’s soul hovering over his head, infinitely beautiful.’
He saw scientific training as an aid to spirituality, as it fosters the ability to think clearly and purposely.
Lachman tells an amusing story about a group of Marxists who paid Steiner to give a series of cultural lectures (because they couldn’t find anyone else).
At first they were happy because he drew far bigger crowds than their previous speakers, only to recoil in horror when he began to lecture on the topic of ‘freedom’.
Although most of the student audience were on his side, he was forced to resign, one of the Marxists shouting him down with the words: ‘In our party there can be no question of freedom, only of reasonable constraint!’
Involved for a time with theosophy, he found it too Eastward-looking, and instead incorporated Western esoteric influences into his thought (e.g. Meister Eckhart, Paracelsus and Giordano Bruno).
He claimed Christianity was unique, but was against dogmatism of any kind, and used Sanskrit terms to describe the various human bodies (astral, etheric etc.).
He used the Zoroastrian term ‘Ahriman’ to describe the spiritual being who works to draw humankind away from its lawful evolution.
He believed that Woodrow Wilson was under the influence of this force, and that certain black occult groups were spiritually aiding the Bolsheviks.
His account of what takes place after death is highly interesting.
The individual experiences his entire past life in a kind of panoramic vision.
The astral body continues to exist for a period one third of the individual’s earthly life, experiencing the content of the dreams it forgot in waking life.
The ego undergoes a process of PURGING (from whence the word purgatory is derived), as the astral body still seeks to gratify its hungers, but cannot.
When it can finally endure the pain of ungratified desires, it is cured of these, after which the ego experiences its entire life again, only backwards, and is thus made aware of the consequences of its actions, an experience which can be profoundly painful, but is necessary to prepare for one’s next incarnation.
Cleansed of desires, and made aware of its karma, the I (with the assistance of higher beings) decides what conditions in its next incarnation will be best suited for its further spiritual development.
As Lachman quips, ‘it’s no use complaining about your life, as you chose it before you were born.’
This is all part of a process of vast cosmic evolution, and even the earth itself has been through previous incarnations.
It is interesting to compare this afterlife account with Emanuel Swedenborg’s (see my recent review of Troy Southgate’s book about him).
It is likely that both Steiner and Swedenborg saw the afterlife through the lens of their own respective backgrounds, and shorn of certain surface adornments their accounts aren’t incompatible.
Steiner admitted (refreshingly for an esotericist) that he may have mistaken some details, but he insisted that his general picture was true.
Man’s current task, according to Steiner, is to develop the ‘consciousness soul’, which combines the clear thinking of the scientific mind with the vital awareness of the spirit world.
Like Spengler, he believed that the Slavs were the people who would embody the new cultural epoch.
He believed in folk souls, that each race had a different character and destiny.
His main societal legacy is in education (the first Waldorf school opened in 1919), and biodynamic farming.
Indeed, many vineyard owners with no interest in esoteric matters schedule their wine-tastings on a ‘fruit day’ according to Steiner’s method of lunar astrology, which in turn is based on old European folk knowledge.
Wine undoubtedly does taste better on these days…try it and see.
But Steiner was no mere advocate for returning to the past.
Instead he advocated finding a way to bring the conditions of modern civilisation into their true relationship with man and the cosmos.
This meant the spiritual world can be accessed by THOUGHT, not just by vague feelings.
Important, too, was his discovery of GOETHE, who had actually SEEN the Urpflanze, the archetypal plant from which all other plants developed.
Steiner fervently believed in the reality of the ‘I’, and was infuriated by the view of Schopenhauer and Eduard von Hartmann that it’s an illusion, and that we are part of one great Will.
Nevertheless, he learnt much from those he disagreed with:
‘I was never inclined to withhold my admiration for what I consider great, even when I absolutely opposed it.’
This open-minded approach was to earn him enemies, however, when people mistook the viewpoints he discussed for his own.
He respected an honest materialist more than a smug man of religion.
He believed that even materialists could attain the spiritual worlds after death if their motives had been SINCERE, as the pursuit of TRUTH is of greater spiritual value than unquestioned dogmatic belief.
He visited Nietzsche during the latter’s brain-damaged final years, and saw ‘Nietzsche’s soul hovering over his head, infinitely beautiful.’
He saw scientific training as an aid to spirituality, as it fosters the ability to think clearly and purposely.
Lachman tells an amusing story about a group of Marxists who paid Steiner to give a series of cultural lectures (because they couldn’t find anyone else).
At first they were happy because he drew far bigger crowds than their previous speakers, only to recoil in horror when he began to lecture on the topic of ‘freedom’.
Although most of the student audience were on his side, he was forced to resign, one of the Marxists shouting him down with the words: ‘In our party there can be no question of freedom, only of reasonable constraint!’
Involved for a time with theosophy, he found it too Eastward-looking, and instead incorporated Western esoteric influences into his thought (e.g. Meister Eckhart, Paracelsus and Giordano Bruno).
He claimed Christianity was unique, but was against dogmatism of any kind, and used Sanskrit terms to describe the various human bodies (astral, etheric etc.).
He used the Zoroastrian term ‘Ahriman’ to describe the spiritual being who works to draw humankind away from its lawful evolution.
He believed that Woodrow Wilson was under the influence of this force, and that certain black occult groups were spiritually aiding the Bolsheviks.
His account of what takes place after death is highly interesting.
The individual experiences his entire past life in a kind of panoramic vision.
The astral body continues to exist for a period one third of the individual’s earthly life, experiencing the content of the dreams it forgot in waking life.
The ego undergoes a process of PURGING (from whence the word purgatory is derived), as the astral body still seeks to gratify its hungers, but cannot.
When it can finally endure the pain of ungratified desires, it is cured of these, after which the ego experiences its entire life again, only backwards, and is thus made aware of the consequences of its actions, an experience which can be profoundly painful, but is necessary to prepare for one’s next incarnation.
Cleansed of desires, and made aware of its karma, the I (with the assistance of higher beings) decides what conditions in its next incarnation will be best suited for its further spiritual development.
As Lachman quips, ‘it’s no use complaining about your life, as you chose it before you were born.’
This is all part of a process of vast cosmic evolution, and even the earth itself has been through previous incarnations.
It is interesting to compare this afterlife account with Emanuel Swedenborg’s (see my recent review of Troy Southgate’s book about him).
It is likely that both Steiner and Swedenborg saw the afterlife through the lens of their own respective backgrounds, and shorn of certain surface adornments their accounts aren’t incompatible.
Steiner admitted (refreshingly for an esotericist) that he may have mistaken some details, but he insisted that his general picture was true.
Man’s current task, according to Steiner, is to develop the ‘consciousness soul’, which combines the clear thinking of the scientific mind with the vital awareness of the spirit world.
Like Spengler, he believed that the Slavs were the people who would embody the new cultural epoch.
He believed in folk souls, that each race had a different character and destiny.
His main societal legacy is in education (the first Waldorf school opened in 1919), and biodynamic farming.
Indeed, many vineyard owners with no interest in esoteric matters schedule their wine-tastings on a ‘fruit day’ according to Steiner’s method of lunar astrology, which in turn is based on old European folk knowledge.
Wine undoubtedly does taste better on these days…try it and see.
But Steiner was no mere advocate for returning to the past.
Instead he advocated finding a way to bring the conditions of modern civilisation into their true relationship with man and the cosmos.
August 5, 2024
AN INFORMATIVE BIOGRAPHY OF THE FOUNDER OF ANTHROPOSOPHY
Biographer Gary Lachman notes, "Steiner admitted that he could neither write nor spell grammatically until the age of ten. Again, one wonders how much this earlier experience informed his later educational ideas, as it is a standard procedure in the Steiner Waldorf schools to put off teaching reading and writing until the age of seven." (Pg. 10)
He observes, "when Steiner was between five and seven years old, he had what we would call a paranormal experience... Steiner tells us that he was afraid to speak of this experience to anyone, fearing that he might be punished for being superstitious; perhaps more likely, he would have been severely scolded for lying." (Pg. 12-13) He points out, "Steiner was as repulsed by spiritualism as he was by materialism, even more so. He considered spiritualists 'more materialist than the materialists,' because they wanted to prove the existence of the spiritual world by grabbing hold of some PHYSICAL evidence for it. This, for Steiner, was worse than absurd. It was something like black magic, a kind of sin." (Pg. 47)
Lachman notes that Steiner "states in his autobiography that he was glad that he had arrived at his own understanding of spiritual truths BEFORE reading Sinnett's book. Yet it is impossible not to wonder how much the ideas and beliefs he was encountering ... informed his later occult teachings. Steiner consistently maintains that he gained NOTHING from theosophy except an audience open to ideas about spiritual reality. But even a cursory glance at Steiner's later occult doctrines reveals a distinct similarity between Madame Blavatsky's picture of things and his own... it is equally possible to say... that when Steiner tells us he had already achieved his own unique spiritual vision BEFORE he encountered theosophy, he is simply obscuring the debt he owes to Blavatsky and company." (Pg. 69)
He speculates, "one wonders if the high incidence of feminist writers in Steiner's life was simply a product of the time, or if he was somehow attracted to women of strong character and well-defined personalities, who rejected the traditional role of women... it's possible that such women allowed a certain intimacy without danger that the relationship would become something more than platonic." (Pg. 86)
After Steiner's excommunication by Annie Besant from the Theosophical Society for his rejection of Krishnamurti as the "World Teacher," he formed the Anthroposophical Society; "Anyone who desired to remain a member of the Theosophical Society was free to do so, but they could not be a member of the Anthroposophical Society. Steiner... [preferred] to remain its spiritual, rather than its legal head." (Pg. 170-171)
Lachman also notes that Steiner "was a teetotaler and had given up smoking (but was, apparently, still fond of snuff)." (Pg. 214)
This biography will be of great interest to anyone wanting to know more about Steiner from an "outsider's" perspective.
Biographer Gary Lachman notes, "Steiner admitted that he could neither write nor spell grammatically until the age of ten. Again, one wonders how much this earlier experience informed his later educational ideas, as it is a standard procedure in the Steiner Waldorf schools to put off teaching reading and writing until the age of seven." (Pg. 10)
He observes, "when Steiner was between five and seven years old, he had what we would call a paranormal experience... Steiner tells us that he was afraid to speak of this experience to anyone, fearing that he might be punished for being superstitious; perhaps more likely, he would have been severely scolded for lying." (Pg. 12-13) He points out, "Steiner was as repulsed by spiritualism as he was by materialism, even more so. He considered spiritualists 'more materialist than the materialists,' because they wanted to prove the existence of the spiritual world by grabbing hold of some PHYSICAL evidence for it. This, for Steiner, was worse than absurd. It was something like black magic, a kind of sin." (Pg. 47)
Lachman notes that Steiner "states in his autobiography that he was glad that he had arrived at his own understanding of spiritual truths BEFORE reading Sinnett's book. Yet it is impossible not to wonder how much the ideas and beliefs he was encountering ... informed his later occult teachings. Steiner consistently maintains that he gained NOTHING from theosophy except an audience open to ideas about spiritual reality. But even a cursory glance at Steiner's later occult doctrines reveals a distinct similarity between Madame Blavatsky's picture of things and his own... it is equally possible to say... that when Steiner tells us he had already achieved his own unique spiritual vision BEFORE he encountered theosophy, he is simply obscuring the debt he owes to Blavatsky and company." (Pg. 69)
He speculates, "one wonders if the high incidence of feminist writers in Steiner's life was simply a product of the time, or if he was somehow attracted to women of strong character and well-defined personalities, who rejected the traditional role of women... it's possible that such women allowed a certain intimacy without danger that the relationship would become something more than platonic." (Pg. 86)
After Steiner's excommunication by Annie Besant from the Theosophical Society for his rejection of Krishnamurti as the "World Teacher," he formed the Anthroposophical Society; "Anyone who desired to remain a member of the Theosophical Society was free to do so, but they could not be a member of the Anthroposophical Society. Steiner... [preferred] to remain its spiritual, rather than its legal head." (Pg. 170-171)
Lachman also notes that Steiner "was a teetotaler and had given up smoking (but was, apparently, still fond of snuff)." (Pg. 214)
This biography will be of great interest to anyone wanting to know more about Steiner from an "outsider's" perspective.
March 22, 2023
A great retrospective on a Introduction to Steiner’s Genius. Steiner's trenchant lectures on the 8th sphere could not be more spot on in relating to our modern society. After living through 2020, in which he predicted- humanity would march towards in cutting off our souls through genetic technologies and the synthetics of materialism and simulations all guided by a lawlessness, void of morality, would eventually usher us into a nuclear suicide.
Steiner understood over a century ago that Western medicine would lead us into a transhumance, interological devolution, and it will be the face of Ahriman that we would reckon with, and as it has arrived already and is here now as the host of AI.
Steiner's philosophy on freedom being his prime just cause, and that when we can return to respecting natural law that governs our forms and spirit, it guides us with morality, and thus there is always more freedom when we have a moral telos, and when we fall to the brutal mechanism we loose our freedom and eventually heave towards a bifurcation from the human soul. The world has still not recognized Steiner’s genius and the few who have are better off, free, and fortunate.
Steiner understood over a century ago that Western medicine would lead us into a transhumance, interological devolution, and it will be the face of Ahriman that we would reckon with, and as it has arrived already and is here now as the host of AI.
Steiner's philosophy on freedom being his prime just cause, and that when we can return to respecting natural law that governs our forms and spirit, it guides us with morality, and thus there is always more freedom when we have a moral telos, and when we fall to the brutal mechanism we loose our freedom and eventually heave towards a bifurcation from the human soul. The world has still not recognized Steiner’s genius and the few who have are better off, free, and fortunate.
June 15, 2022
First off, Gary Lachman is a fantastic writer. Steiner was an interesting character, and without question played a large and sort of idiosyncratic role in the rise of occult movement of the late 19th century. I don't think this book was as strong as some of Lachman's other work and that may have been because the content wasn't as appealing or entertaining (Lachman's book on Crowley and Dark Star Rising are two of my favorites). I don't know what to make of Steiner's theories, nor do I claim to know much about them, but I question the source of his material and also wonder if these beliefs and claims were just aspects of his own unconscious mind that he attempted to attribute to higher beings/intelligences/whatever? Either way, an ok read.
February 26, 2025
Interesting read. Hard to find stuff on Steiner from an objective perspective in the English language. Whether people see him as a schizophrenic cult leader or a brilliant educator and gnostic, time will tell. I’ll certainly never look at Waldorf schools the same though lol
March 20, 2025
What an interesting man. A well written book by Gary Lachman and easy to read with loads of references for people who want to delve deeper. Lachman clearly isn't an anthroposophist but writes very sympathetically yet honestly on the man. It definitely left me wanting to know more.
Want to read
June 8, 2025Great book! It’s excellent to read how he was capable of translating all his inner experiences into this world. He speaks a lot about the unconscious mind and symbolism a real genius who existed before Carl Gustav Jung. For a spiritual seeker, 100% recommended.
November 15, 2017
He has done s good job has the lad
June 16, 2020
Excellent explanatory and introductory foray into Steiner. God knows that Steiner's own writing was incomprehensible to me.
November 21, 2023
I was hoping for a primer on Steiner’s teachings, but the book is more of a history of Steiner’s life and the Anthroposophical organizations.
June 17, 2012
It's hard to see how one person could have had such a mixture of ideas. His educational ideas are sound. I've used this handout http://www.waldorfresearchinstitute.o... with parents. There's lots of other good information if you Google ADHD Waldorf. The story of his first tutoring experience was very interesting. His ideas about mystical issues certainly were more tenuous. As a person who visualizes very little, aside from what I get from my senses, I am amazed by his statement that his interior impressions were stronger than those from his senses. That ability must allow so much creativity. I was taught to rely on scientific information for my picture of reality. I guess I'll learn more about the people who rely on other methods. Meanwhile, I'll get most of my information from this author; how could you go wrong. Blondie was (is?) a really good band.
March 8, 2012
You will find at the philosophyoffreedom website a free online study course on the “Philosophy of Freedom”. It is Rudolf Steiner's most important work, and the one that will endure the longest, because it describes his path to freedom.
When asked, “What will remain of your work in thousands of years? Steiner replied: “Nothing but the Philosophy of Freedom. When asked which of his books he would most want to see rescued if catastrophe should come upon the world, Steiner replied: “The Philosophy of Freedom”. When a student asked if he could attend Steiner's private esoteric training group, Steiner replied: “You don’t need to! You have understood my Philosophy of Freedom!”
When asked, “What will remain of your work in thousands of years? Steiner replied: “Nothing but the Philosophy of Freedom. When asked which of his books he would most want to see rescued if catastrophe should come upon the world, Steiner replied: “The Philosophy of Freedom”. When a student asked if he could attend Steiner's private esoteric training group, Steiner replied: “You don’t need to! You have understood my Philosophy of Freedom!”
April 1, 2015
"When one who has a rich mental life sees a thousand things which are nothing to the mentally poor, this shows as clearly as sunlight that the content of reality is only the reflection of the content of our minds."
"We are unaware of ourselves as free, spiritual beings. Most of the time, we stare blankly at the world, accepting the poker face it returns, unconsciously confirming the misconception that our consciousness is passive and undermining any possibility of motivating ourselves into pouring more energy into our awareness."
"The point is that man shall find the way to bring the conditions of modern civilization into their true relationship-to himself and to the Cosmos"
"We are unaware of ourselves as free, spiritual beings. Most of the time, we stare blankly at the world, accepting the poker face it returns, unconsciously confirming the misconception that our consciousness is passive and undermining any possibility of motivating ourselves into pouring more energy into our awareness."
"The point is that man shall find the way to bring the conditions of modern civilization into their true relationship-to himself and to the Cosmos"
November 19, 2015
I was helping someone use the computer but then my time ran out and this previous attempt wasn't saved. Too bad, because I don't feel like writing it over again. I talked about Colin Wilson, and Gary Lachman. Gary Lachman wrote New York Rocker about his days as the bass player of Blondie. That book is under his stage name of Gary Valentine. Oh, yeah. The book talks about Rudolph Steiner, who was a Western Mystic. So, yeah, it was interesting, though a lot of the things in it lead me to want to read more about Colin Wilson, and other books by Lachman. I did get The Outsider by Colin Wilson and am reading it.
May 26, 2010
Started off really interesting, being more philosophical, but then became more biographical which bored me... I suppose it is the purpose of the book to be a biography, but it started off so philosophically interesting that when it switched over to a full-out biography of his path from professor to editor to director to honorary president, i got bored and found it difficult to finish. I didn't actually get a good view of what anthroposophy was, nor did it include anything about his theories on education or farming...
October 22, 2012
I found this book absolutely fascinating. A great introduction to the life and ideas of an unusual man. The book was very readable and entertaining, and there were plenty of references to provide a scholarly backbone. The one drawback was that there were no photographs. It would have been nice to have photographs of Rudolf Steiner over the years as well as some of the people and places he was involved with. This is the only biography I have ever read that didn't have some photographs included. I would recommend this book to anyone with even an inkling of curiosity about Steiner.
February 20, 2015
Steiner was a really strange guy, and something of an enigma. Lachman manages to be very sympathetic, despite Steiner's occasionally bizarre ideas. This biography is very helpful given that so much of what is written about Steiner is either "official" hagiography published by the anthroposophical society he founded, or else hatchet jobs by opposing schools of thought. Lachman gives a pretty balanced assessment of how Steiner's ideas have influenced everything from education to organic gardening. I am left with the impression he was brilliant and a little crazy.
April 23, 2008
Very readable. A wonderful overview of Steiner, the man . . . . humble, egalitarian, committed, selflessly working to help others find their own truths rather than "telling" them what to believe. I had hoped I would discover more about his process with spirit, but Steiner only revealed a minimal amount . . . . understandable as he didn't want others to come to him because of his abilities (like a cult figure) but guide them to find truth within themselves.
January 27, 2009
Lachman's brings Steiner to life & sheds light on why he is so misunderstood by history. Lachman's own philosophical background gives him great insight into Steiner's mind & helps put his subject in historical & philosophical perspective. It's not exactly a page turner, but it is fascinating. Steiner was way ahead of his time with his ideas about childhood development & education and natural & organic food cultivation, but humanity is finally catching up to him.
November 3, 2013
Un muy buen libro que introduce la vida y obra de uno de los grandes pensadores del siglo XX. Escrito por alguien interesado en su obra, pero no directamente vinculado con la Antroposofía, tiene la virtud de dar una mirada externa, cometiendo las imprecisiones inevitables que un observador externo pudiese tener en relación a Steiner. Muy recomendado.
August 18, 2015
Hyvin luettava ja helposti omaksuttava teos Rudolf Steinerin elämästä ja ajatuksista sekä Antroposofisen seuran syntyvaiheista. Asiallinen, arvostava, kriittinen mutta ei kritisoiva lähestymistapa, josta pidin kovasti. Kirjoittaja tuo esiin myös omat näkemyksensä, mutta perustaa tekstin sisällön asiallisiin lähteisiin. Opin paljon lukiessani tätä.
August 14, 2015
I am inspired by the idea of a triangle has as much existence as any physical thing or triangular shape, as Steinger told his students.
His many accomplishments overcame the reluctance of his peers that refused to accept that "human beings were spiritual creations." His legacy include the Steiner/Waldorf education and the roots of biodynamic farming and agriculture.
His many accomplishments overcame the reluctance of his peers that refused to accept that "human beings were spiritual creations." His legacy include the Steiner/Waldorf education and the roots of biodynamic farming and agriculture.
March 22, 2011
This was an interesting introduction to Rudolph Steiner. I'm a sucker for stories about renaissance men and autodidact types. Steiner seemed to be a 17th century scientist/mystic living in the dawn of the modern age. I love his approach to education.
June 9, 2009
I am reading this because Steiner developed the Waldorf Education system and I am thinking about sending Nicholas to one. I want to learn more about him... plus Bubs really admires him :-)
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