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13 lectures, Dornach, Switzerland, June 24 - July 22, 1922 (CW 213)"In the case of a solar eclipse, the evil that has spread over the earth can be carried out into the cosmos to wreak more havoc there, whereas in the case of a lunar eclipse, people who absolutely want to be possessed by evil thoughts can receive them from the cosmos." --
Rudolf SteinerIn this first full translation of
Human Questions and Cosmic Answers, Rudolf Steiner implores his listeners to recognize the connections between the material and spiritual worlds. Eclipses of the Sun and Moon, for example, are "forces at work in the universe, just like those we study today in the clinic or in the chemistry or physics laboratory."
Even ordinary thinking can strongly affect our outer world. Materialistic thinking, he says, can literally atomize our surroundings: "If all human beings start to think that everything has to be explained in terms of atoms...then the earth will actually turn into atoms...these false ideas create false realities." Steiner speaks of the "world of will" as three-dimensional, the "world of feeling" as two-dimensional, and the "world of thinking" as one-dimensional. The "I" itself is without dimension. Only inner, living thinking can grasp the spiritual mental realm.
Steiner also discusses significant cultural figures, including Friedrich Nietzsche, Herman Grimm, and Julian the Apostate. He also introduces other topics, such as the effect of planetary forces on humans; the healing effects of metals and other substances; the revitalization of thinking through meditation and concentration; the effects of separating science, art, and religion; and the necessary transition from philosophy to anthroposophy.
This volume is a translation from German of
Menschenfragen und Weltenantworten (GA 213).
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.
Summary
In the first full translation of this lecture course, Rudolf Steiner implores his audience to recognize the connections between the material and spiritual worlds. Eclipses of the sun and moon, for example, are ‘forces at work in the universe, just like those we study today in the clinic or in the chemistry or physics laboratory’.
