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6 lectures, Dornach, October 11-16, 1921 (CW 339)Lecturing is an art that requires command of many technical aspects. Novices tell all they know, or worse--whatever they have read about a subject. They either bore or overwhelm listeners with a flow of information. Master speakers know their audience and evoke wonder and insight. How is this done?
These lectures form the "Swiss Orientation Course," or "The Speakers' Course." They address the art of effective speaking, clarifying thought content, knowing one's audience, verbal formulation, ethics of speaking, the effects of lecturers on their listeners, lyrical speaking, speech exercises, repetition, and full immersion in one's topic so that the speaker will be listened to and heard.
This book is a translation from German of
Anthroposophie, soziale Dreigliederung und Redekunst: Orientierungskurs fuer die oeffentliche Wirksamkeit mit besonderem Himblick auf die Schweitz (GA 339).
About the author
Rudolf Steiner (b. Rudolf Joseph Lorenz Steiner, 1861-1925) was born in the small village of Kraljevec, Austro-Hungarian Empire (now in Croatia), where he grew up. As a young man, he lived in Weimar and Berlin, where he became a well-published scientific, literary, and philosophical scholar, known especially for his work with Goethe's scientific writings. Steiner termed his spiritual philosophy
anthroposophy, meaning "wisdom of the human being." As an exceptionally developed seer, he based his work on direct knowledge and perception of spiritual dimensions. He initiated a modern, universal "spiritual science" that is accessible to anyone willing to exercise clear and unbiased thinking. From his spiritual investigations, Steiner provided suggestions for the renewal of numerous activities, including education (general and for special needs), agriculture, medicine, economics, architecture, science, philosophy, Christianity, and the arts. There are currently thousands of schools, clinics, farms, and initiatives in other fields that involve practical work based on the principles Steiner developed. His many published works feature his research into the spiritual nature of human beings, the evolution of the world and humanity, and methods for personal development. He wrote some thirty books and delivered more than six thousand lectures throughout much of Europe. In 1924, Steiner founded the General Anthroposophical Society, which today has branches around the world.
