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Cultural Epochs II

The epochs of the “the theosophical-anthroposophical theory of evolution” are cultural, and not racial. The word “Aryan” for example, originally was a linguistic term for all cultures whose language derived from the Indo-European. It has nothing to do with racial characteristics. The term was borrowed by racists starting a little bit before the beginning of the 20th Century, and by the end of the Nazi era had completely lost it’s original linguistic meaning, such that even linguists no longer use it. The “Aryan” epoch, lasting 21,600 years and starting about 15,000 years ago was renamed the “Post-Atlantean” by 1906 (as Steiner noticed that the word “Aryan” bore less and less it’s original meaning) and only in older documents will you find that term used. I think it is historically ignorant to call all 19th Century linguists who used the term a racist, and likewise its use in most early Theosophical literature was not intended racially. The smaller epochs are named after the culture (culture, not race) that is most prominent during that era. However, it is explicitly clear that these are not the only cultures of importance during that era. Every culture is an important part of the whole, just as every individual is an important part of the whole of humanity. If critics of Anthroposophy spent more time studying the system that they are already sure they understand, these things would perhaps become clearer.

One Response to “Cultural Epochs II”

  1. Daniel says:

    I appear to have been in error on the dates involved in Cultural Epochs. The “Aryan” epoch lasts only 15120 years, and started around 7,000 BC – or 9000 years ago – wih another 6,000 years to run. My apologies to anyone mislead by this.
    Daniel Hindes

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