Index - Waldorf Watch

SITE INDEX

Here is an alphabetized list of topics and people important in Waldorf education and Anthroposophy. The Index is not all-inclusive — you will find additional information on pages scattered throughout the site — but it should start you down various lines of inquiry.

The Index is a guide to the pages at Waldorf Watch. For definitions of terms and brief commentaries, see the Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia.

Some headings in the Index represent judgments about Steiner’s work — these headings are not terms that Steiner himself employed. You can reach your own conclusions about whether such headings offer valuable guidance in evaluating Steiner’s work.

Please understand that I consider several of the topics listed in the index — such as those connected to racism — detestable. I include them only because they are part of Steiner’s worldview.

— Roger Rawlings

Links to Index Sections

Please use the following links to reach the appropriate sections of the index.
Use "Links to Pages" to find the page you select.

[A-B] [C-D] [E] [F-H] [I-L] [M-Q] [R-S] [T-V] [W-Z]

Concerning Consistency

Steiner's views on spiritual subjects evolved, somewhat. Beginning his occultist career in the folds of Theosophy, Steiner broke away to establish his own system, Anthroposophy. He was an avowed occultist for a quarter of a century, and he spent much of that time propounding (and, to a minor degree, revising) his views. Complicating matters, he often said different things to different audiences, concealing much from general audiences, revealing much (but perhaps not all) to gatherings of devoted followers. Complicating matters still more, he sometimes contradicted himself even when addressing his followers. (See, e.g., "Deception".)

For these reasons, any summary of Steiner's occult views is likely to contain some inconsistencies. Surely my own efforts reflect this. Then, too, it is always possible that I may have gotten some portion of Steiner's doctrines wrong. (The task I have undertaken is enormous. Steiner wrote many books and delivered many thousands of lectures.) Thus, thanks to both Steiner and Yours Truly, Waldorf Watch may contain some contradictions and even outright mistakes. To the best of my ability, I have pointed out instances when Steiner changed his mind, contradicted himself, or waffled. Also to the best of my ability, I have searched for my own errors and corrected them, a process that I will keep working at. I'm confident that almost everything here at Waldorf Watch is accurate, and I will keep chipping away at the "almost," aiming for complete accuracy and truth. (As for Steiner, however, he made many clear mistakes, and it is now too late for him to correct them. See, e.g., "Steiner's Blunders".)

To the degree that neither Steiner nor I have simply misrepresented Steiner, most inconsistencies you find here result from the sheer complexity of Steiner's teachings and the ineffable, supernal nature of many concepts he discussed. Anthroposophists have differing interpretations of Steiner's meaning, so you should not be surprised if nailing down Steiner's teachings proves challenging for you and me. Consider the concept of the Godhead, for instance, or our life on Vulcan, or our life in the five mysterious evolutionary stages beyond Vulcan. Steiner himself said that much of this cannot be described, and his followers accept this. To some degree, we must accept this, too.

[R.R., 2010.]