Table of Contents (Waldorf Watch)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Here is a list of the pages on this site.

At the end of the list, you will find some general explanatory notes,

including "A Question of Quotes".

The essays on this site were written over a period of years.

There is some overlap, some repetition, and some minor disagreement

among them. I wrote most of these essays, but other critics

of Waldorf schooling are also represented —

including Dan Dugan, Pete Karaiskos, Ian Robinson, Margaret Sachs,

Debra Snell, Peter Staudenmaier, and Diana Winters.

I think you'll find that, overall, the essays present a clear

explanation of Waldorf schooling and the thinking that lies behind it.

GUIDE

1. The easiest way to move around this Web site is to click on any of the titles, below, that interest you.
Each title is a link — it will take you to the relevant page.
You can then return here and click on another title.
(Some pages also contain links to subsequent, related pages.)

2. There is a list links at the Index.
You can use it much as you can use the links here in the Table of Contents.
The list at the Index is alphabetized, while the links here follow the order shown in the sidebar.

3. Click on the titles in the sidebar.

Many of the pages at this site are tucked inside other pages.
The sidebar shows only a few of the pages, unless you open the sidebar by clicking on the triangular dingbats.

To reach the "tucked" pages, click on the appropriate triangular dingbats.

For example:

∆ Steiner's Blunders
∆ Steiner's Quackery
∆ What We Are

"Steiner's Quackery" is tucked inside "Steiner's Blunders".
To reach it, click on the triangle next to "Steiner's Blunders" in the sidebar.

"What We Are" is tucked inside "Steiner's Quackery".
To reach it, click on the triangle next to "Steiner's Quackery" in the sidebar.

4. You can also used the "Search Site" function at the upper right corner of every page.
This allows Google searches on the site.
One-word searches seem to work best.

The Table of Contents lists all pages, showing which pages are tucked inside others.
Each title is a link — just click on it.

Some of the pages listed are not, in fact, on this site — the links will take you to other sites.
To return, use your back-page function.

Please note that I cannot entirely vouch for anything I have not written myself.

WELCOME: Home page, with statement of objectives.

I WENT TO WALDORF: A report on life as a Waldorf student.

UNENLIGHTENED: An overview of Waldorf schooling; a far longer version of "I Went to Waldorf", including:

WALDORF'S PURPOSE

LIGHT AND DARK

WALDORF'S IMPACT

"SPIRITUAL SCIENCE"

CLAIRVOYANT VISION

COMPASSION AND ITS ABSENCE (including addenda, etc.)

WALDORF NOW: Bringing the inquiry up to date: What goes on inside Waldorf schools today?

WEIRD WALDORF: A brief look at the purposes of Waldorf schooling.

SIX FACTS ABOUT STEINER EDUCATION: A guide for students and parents.

NUTSHELL: A brief summary of Rudolf Steiner’s doctrines and teachings.

ANTHROPOPERY: Steiner's theory of everything.

CLAIRVOYANCE: The missing basis of Waldorf thinking.

SECRETS: Some of the things you aren’t supposed to know.

REPORT CARD: Debating and evaluating Waldorf education.

FAILURE: To survive or not, to teach or not.

ADVICE FOR PARENTS: For parents considering sending kids to a Waldorf school.

CLUES: Detailed pointers on evaluating a Waldorf school.

THE WORLD OF WALDORF: Reverence, wonder, and the aftereffects of straining for them.

OUR BRUSH WITH RUDOLF STEINER: One family's story. [external link]

SLAPS: Steiner’s views on classroom discipline.

THE GOOD (?) PARTS: Some positive elements, but also some worrisome reports.

WHO GETS HURT: An inquiry into the “success” of Waldorf schooling.

HUMOURESQUE: The “temperaments” as conceived and acted upon in Waldorf schools.

NON-WALDORF WALDORFS: Can a Waldorf school cleanse itself?

CURRICULUM: An overview of the standard Waldorf curriculum.

OH MY WORD: English classes and history classes in a typical Waldorf school.

THE GODS: The central mythology in many Waldorf schools: Norse myths.

MAGICAL ARTS: The Waldorf curriculum: the arts, and festivals.

ANTHRO CHRISTMAS ICONOGRAPHY: Symbols. [external link]

OH MY STARS: The Waldorf curriculum: Astronomy.

THE PLANETS: Steiner on our solar system or "our universe."

THINKING CAP: The irrational modes of “thought” fostered at Waldorf schools.

THE ANCIENTS: At Waldorf schools, ignorance is often taken as wisdom.

STEINER'S “SCIENCE”: The antiscientific nature of Waldorf education.

LESSON BOOKS: Class reports as created by students at many Waldorf schools.

IS ANTHROPOSOPHY SCIENCE?: No. [external link]

FACULTY MEETINGS: A behind-the-scenes look at Waldorf education.

ACADEMIC STANDARDS AT WALDORF: Examining a problem that began with the first Waldorf School.

FOUNDATIONS: Exploring the fundamentals of Waldorf schooling.

UNDERPINNINGS: Further explorations.

BASEMENT: Still further explorations.

RANKINGS: Anthroposophical value judgments.

SAY WHAT?: Selected, revealing quotations; includes "Anthroposophy in Waldorf".

STEINER’S BILE: Perhaps the worst statements Steiner ever made.

STEINER STATIC: Nonsense in the air.

WISE WORDS: Additional revealing quotations; includes "Last Words" and "Reading Steiner".

STEINER’S RACISM: The racial teachings deep in Anthroposophy that surface sometimes at Waldorfs.

ATLANTIS AND THE ARYANS: Two fundamental legends embraced by Steiner.

SYMPATHIZERS?: Allegations and denials.

THE RACIAL TEACHINGS OF RUDOLF STEINER: From SkepticReport. [external link]

EVOLUTION, ANYONE?: Steiner’s strange version, tied to his racial teachings.

WHITE GUYS: Anthroposophical racism, recapped.

GOING UP: Steiner vs. Darwin and the Bible.

NOAH: Steiner vs. the Bible.

IS ANTHROPOSOPHY A RELIGION?: Examining the central denial made by Steiner’s followers.

WAS HE CHRISTIAN?: A comparison of Steiner's teachings with Christ's.

GNOSIS: Anthroposophy and hidden knowledge.

ROSY CROSS: Anthroposophy and Rosicrucianism.

GOD: Steiner's strange ideas about the Lord.

GODDESS: The Earth Goddess; and the Theory of Everything: Anthropo-Sophia.

SERVING THE GODS: What Waldorf faculties aim for.

PRAYERS: About those "morning verses".

FAITH: The religion of Anthroposophy in the classroom.

BEAT: Turning students into disciples.

CHOOSING: Why choose Anthroposophy when there are so many alternatives?

INSIDE SCOOP: Occult initiation in Anthroposophy.

EVERYTHING: An examination of Steiner’s central text.

PREHISTORY 101: Steiner’s extraordinary, sci-fi-like narrative of human evolution.

The tale of our ancient past and our distant future, as told by Steiner. It continues in:

LOVE AND THE UNIVERSAL HUMAN: Steiner promoted love, sort of.

DOUBLE TROUBLE: Steiner’s occult conspiracy theories.

THE WHITE LODGE: Back-room maneuvers.

STEINER’S BLUNDERS: Steiner unconsciously making a fool of himself, over and over.

STEINER’S QUACKERY: No laughing matter: Steiner’s quack medicine.

WHAT WE ARE: Human nature as conceived by Steiner and acted upon in Waldorf schools.

THE CENTER: Macrocosms, microcosms, and fallacies.

NEUTERED NATURE: The Waldorf view of the natural world.

OVERHEAD: Bizarre ideas about the universe: Vulcan, the Zodiac, Mars, etc.

MORE OVERHEAD: More of the same: planets, Moon, and Sun.

FANTASY FLIGHTS: Waldorf escapism.

STEINER’S ILLOGIC: The quality of Steiner’s thoughts.

BIODYNAMICS: Quack agriculture: astrology and magic.

TOP TEN JOKES: Some of Steiner’s silliest statements (on topics such as gnomes).

WHAT A GUY: Seeing Steiner through his followers’ eyes; includes brief chronology of Steiner's life.

GURU: Steiner through his followers' eyes.

STEINER AND THE WARLORD: Steiner’s embrace of an architect of destruction.

THE GOOD WARS: America, Germany, and Waldorf.

VIOLENCE: Surprising violence in Steiner's kindly vision.

BAD: And badder, and baddest.

RUDOLF STEINER (1861-1925): A skeptical view. [external link]

ENEMIES: Steiner and his followers, beleaguered.

STEINER'S SPECIFIC: What he prescribed, and — perhaps — why.

SUMMING UP: A look back.

TRUTH: Mystical thinking, realistic thinking.

OUR EXPERIENCE: A mother's report and advice.

THE WALDORF SCANDAL: Describing the near-collapse of the Waldorf school I attended.

MY SAD, SAD STORY: Deprogramming myself after Waldorf.

YOURS TRULY: Who the heck am I?

HORROR: Doom and deliverance.

BEES: One more surprise, repeated.

ATOMS: The emptiness of Anthroposophy.

SO?: Can you trust me?

LINKS: Where to go for further information.

INDEX: Alphabetized index for this site, with definitions — a mini-encyclopedia.

SUPPLEMENTS: Additional quotations and commentary:

abnormal : what's normal and what isn't

advice : what Steiner told teachers

Ahriman : one bad dude

alchemy : for real

all: God and Godhead

altogether : all wisdom is one

beings : goblins and up

can't we all just get along? : demons and demonizing

community : the Christian Community

criticism : left brain, right brain

discussions : Steiner and Waldorf teachers

dopamine : feel-good faith

dreams : good and not so good

eurythmy : its origins and powers

evil ones : Asuras and Sorat

grail : what's being sought

hell : Steiner on perdition

horoscopes : for real

karma : for real

magic : for real

magic numbers: numerology or thereabouts

materialism : worse than you may think

more on education : quotations about education, religion, health...

"Negro" : Steiner on

pagan : not Christian

power words : mantras, prayers, meditations

races : Steiner on

reality and fantasy: what we know and what we don't

RS on Jews : Anthro anti-Semitism

science : no good

signs : and symbols

sin : Steiner on

spirit : within, behind, and ahead

superstition : for real

thinking : try not to use your brain

whales : big brains

white/black : Steiner on

will : and self-hypnosis

ILLUSTRATIONS: Some of the illustrations used on this site are summarized on these pages:

wet-on-wet: talismanic Waldorf paintings

other paintings: but still in a characteristic Waldorf style

drawings: characteristic Waldorf colored-pencil work

Rudolf Steiner: three portraits

alma mater: the Waldorf School of Adelphi College (later University)

mine: mea culpa

◊◊◊◊

◊ While I take Steiner seriously, I often laugh at his doctrines. Much of what he taught is preposterous. But be forewarned: Some of his doctrines are quite hateful and thus not at all laughable. And the harm Steiner's educational doctrines can inflict on innocent young children is serious indeed.

◊ My primary focus is on Waldorf schools. Many people find these schools attractive, at least initially. Waldorfs are often small, cozy, and beautiful. They can seem like safe refuges in a fearful world. However, any schools that abide by Steiner’s teachings are necessarily devoted to the occult, specifically Anthroposophy — although they often disguise this devotion. Understanding what goes on in such schools requires peering beneath the surface. I have attempted to peer.

◊ Especially important passages crop up in more than one essay. I don't expect anyone to read every essay here, so to make sure that various pivotal items reach as many readers as possible, I have stated some arguments, and cited some quotations, in two, three, or even four places on the site. If you come upon something you’ve read before, please just skip ahead.

◊ In my work, I intentionally hop back and forth between past and present tense. Using only the past tense would understate the continuing threat Steiner poses to Waldorf students. Steiner is dead, but his influence lives on: The danger is very much alive.

◊ What's with the crazy colors? Throughout the site, I use color more or less as I remember we used it in the Waldorf school I attended. Anthroposophists find mystical meaning in colors (as in everything else) — but there is no meaning to my use of color, other than to evoke a mildly Waldorfish atmosphere. And, assuming you may want to focus on Steiner's own words, I set his words apart by coloring them bright blue.

◊ Throughout, I provide links to other sources of information. As time passes, some of these links may become outdated. I will update them all if I can, but if you try to use a link that proves to be a dud, searching the Internet by keyword may take you where you want to go.

◊ Here and there, I have included sketches I have made. Most of these are renderings of illustrations found in Anthroposophical books. Some photographs I've taken over the years are also scattered around the site. I apologize for my poor artistic efforts — I use my own sketches and photographs only when no other, better works are available for reproduction here. Whenever possible, I have turned to others for illustrations. In some cases, when the originals were washed out, I have heightened colors or added colored washes. Clicking on some, but not all, images will cause them to expand. (Some of the illustrations are jokes, visual puns, or allusions — their connection to the text they decorate may not be obvious. Don't worry if you don't quickly see why a particular image is in a particular location — it probably isn't important.)

◊◊◊◊

Please excuse any typos at this site.

I hope they are few and insignificant.

I’ll correct them all when I find them.

◊◊◊◊

A QUESTION OF QUOTES

When quoting Steiner, I often omit extraneous and repetitive phrases, which I replace with ellipsis marks. I take care, however, not to alter Steiner’s meaning. The best way to check up on me is to consult the texts from which I quote. I always provide citations.

Here is an example. In my long essay "Unenlightened" I use the following quotation to show that Steiner differentiated between the soul and the spirt: “The soul must not be impelled, through the body, to lusts and passions ... The spirit, however, must not stand as a slave-driver over the soul, dominating it with laws and commandments....” [Rudolf Steiner, KNOWLEDGE OF THE HIGHER WORLDS AND ITS ATTAINMENT (Anthroposophic Press, 1944), p. 96.]

The following a more complete version of the same passage, in which I include all words I previously omitted, and for context I include the sentences that appear immediately before and after the passage:

“The body must be so ennobled and purified that its organs are impelled to nothing that is not in the service of the soul and spirit. The soul must not be impelled, through the body, to lusts and passions which are antagonistic to pure and noble thought. The spirit, however, must not stand as a slave-driver over the soul, dominating it with laws and commandments; the soul must rather learn to follow these laws and duties out of its own free inclination. The student must not feel duty to be an oppressive power to which he unwillingly submits, but rather something which he performs out of love.”

Remember that my purpose was to establish that Steiner differentiates between the soul and the spirit. Including the additional sentences and phrases does not alter that differentiation; it merely makes the quotation longer while raising extraneous issues. That Steiner speaks of love, for instance, may be to his credit, but it does not change the distinction between spirit and soul. Thus, the original form of the quotation is accurate and more to the point.

The issue of context is complex. The passage I’ve quoted comes from within a long paragraph. The only way to absolutely avoid taking such passages out of context would be to reprint entire paragraphs or perhaps entire chapters. But clearly that would be impractical and — in some cases — illegal, due to copyright laws. The test you should apply is whether a quotation would mean something fundamentally different if taken within a larger context. In this instance, neither the omission of some words nor the absence of the larger context alters the point at issue, which is that Steiner distinguished between spirit and soul.

A final note on this topic. In omitting phrases and sentences, I may seem to be ducking some issues. You can check me on this, as well. I can’t deal with every issue simultaneously, but I do not intentionally ignore any subjects that are important to an understanding of Waldorf education or Anthroposophy. Thus, I deal with Steinerian “love” in the such essays as “Underpinnings” and “Was He Christian?” Similarly, I deal with Steiner’s conception of thought (a subject introduced by the phrase “pure and noble thought”) in various essays including “Thinking Cap” and “Steiner’s ‘Science’”. For a discussion of Steiner’s doctrines about the human constitution (“the body must be so ennobled and purified that its organs...”), see “Steiner’s Quackery” and “What We’re Made Of”. For more on Steiner’s conception of freedom (which boils down to voluntary acceptance of laws and commandments) see “Nutshell” and “Steiner Static”.

— Roger Rawlings