Rudolf Steiner's central book:

OCCULT SCIENCE - AN OUTLINE

[Rudolf Steiner Press, 2009.]

Q. I've seen books about occultism at our Waldorf school and in the homes of Waldorf teachers. How worrisome is this?

A. Rudolf Steiner used the word "occult" innumerable times when discussing his teachings.* [See "Occultism".] For many people, the word has terrible associations, raising thoughts of devil worship and witchcraft. But a more accurate understanding is that the word refers to the supernatural, both the good and the bad — it does not exclusively connote evil supernatural forces. And Steiner meant the word to have an even more innocent meaning. As he explained, "occult" means "hidden" or "mysterious." Hence, occult knowledge is hidden knowledge, generally hidden knowledge of the spirit realm.

One of Steiner's fundamental premises was that spiritual truth is hidden or occult until we develop clairvoyant powers that enable us to penetrate to the core of spiritual mysteries. Steiner's most important "spiritual scientific" book is AN OUTLINE OF OCCULT SCIENCE, which has also been published as OCCULT SCIENCE - AN OUTLINE. (Yet a third title is AN OUTLINE OF ESOTERIC SCIENCE. This latter title was created in an effort to suppress the worrisome word "occult.")

The key point to understand is that Rudolf Steiner's teachings are essentially mystical, having to do with explorations of occult spiritual mysteries. This is the essence of Anthroposophy, which is the basis for Waldorf education. Unless you can endorse the Anthroposophical view of spiritual matters, you will not be able to wholly endorse the thinking behind Waldorf education.

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For publishers' descriptions of various editions of Steiner's central book, see

STEINERBOOKS

RUDOLF STEINER PRESS

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For a summary of the contents of Steiner's central book, see

"Everything"

* In German, the word for occultism is "Okkultismus." German Anthroposophical texts sometimes also refer to "Geheimnisvoll" — mysteriousness. In English translations, words such as "mysterious," "hidden," and "esoteric" are often used, but "occult" and "occultism" have also frequently been chosen.

Explaining the decision to change the title of AN OUTLINE OF OCCULT SCIENCE to AN OUTLINE OF ESOTERIC SCIENCE, the editor at the Anthroposophic Press wrote "[E]soteric means fundamentally 'inner.' Earlier translations used the title Occult Science. In Latin, occult simply means 'hidden.' Occult, however, has a fallen [i.e., negative] meaning in English ... The book is about the majestic, full spiritual being present in each of us, and about the lofty beings above us. Occult is clearly inappropriate." [AN OUTLINE OF ESOTERIC SCIENCE, 1997, p. x.]

Nonetheless, AN OUTLINE OF ESOTERIC SCIENCE is now out of print, while the Rudolf Steiner Press continues to sell OCCULT SCIENCE - AN OUTLINE.