Does Rudolf Steiner Believe in Viruses?

Here is a great example of why we have to be careful with Steiner quotes. This one is from GA 185, 3rd lecture (From Symptom to Reality in Modern History). “But bacilli, as such, are of course in no way connected with disease. In phenomena of this kind we must realize that just as behind the symptoms of history we are dealing with psychic and spiritual experiences, so too behind somatic symptoms we are dealing with...

Steiner’s esteem for natural scientific trai...

That Steiner regarded natural scientific training as valuable is evident from the following quote: “The main point is that spiritual science, with its methods of research, only begins where modern natural science leaves off. Humanity is indebted to the view of the world adopted by natural science for which I would call a logic which educates itself by the facts of nature. An important method of training has been...

Feynman’s epistomology

Is science compatible with Anthroposophy? Is Anthroposophy compatible with science? I submit that this view, presented by Richard Feynman as a practicing physicist, is fully compatible with Rudolf Steiner’s view. To quote from the last paragraph: “…to stand with the fundamental laws, hoping that way to get a deep understanding of the whole world, with that aspect alone, is a mistake.” From:...

Steiner’s attitude towards science

Reading Rudolf Steiner carefully, I find him continually specifying the scope of validity of scientific endeavor (and its importance) while emphasizing the necessity of a complementary (and not opposing) effort from another angle. Yet his is continually accused of “science bashing”, both inside and outside of the Anthroposophical movement. Those thinking themselves more generous grant him merely an...

The supersensible in the world

That the supersensible world is truly supersensible and beyond the measure of all scientific instruments is evident from this following quote: “We must not fall into the error of certain theosophical circles, and imagine that the etheric and astral bodies as consisting simply of finer substances than our present in the physical body. For that would be a materialistic conception of these higher members of man’s...

Gravity and Angels

This following quote illustrates perfectly the issue of paradigm in understanding physical phenomena and science. “What makes planets go around the sun? At the time of Kepler some people answered this problem by saying that there were angels behind them beating their wings and pushing the planets around an orbit. As you will see the answer is not very different from the truth. The only difference is that the angels sit...

What is existence?

What is existence? This is, of course, and a rather fundamental question. I’ve been thinking about it a bit recently, after someone told me “the etheric and astral bodies don’t exist, Daniel.” From a certain the point of view, this is, of course, absolutely true. By definition (Anthroposophical and not Theosophical) they are invisible and unmeasurable by any scientific instrument. So it is hardly an...