the challenges of rudolf steiner · learn that steiner’s meta-philosophy was one of consciousness...

FilmReview:TheChallengesofRudolfSteiner

2018©mingong.org

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Filmedin2011,thistwo-partdocumentarybyveteranfilm-makerJonathanStedalltellsthestoryofphilosopherRudolfSteiner’sremarkablelife(1861-1925)andexplorestheinfluenceofhisideasandinsightsonawholerangeofcontemporaryactivities–education,agriculture,medicine,socialandfinancialissues,andthearts.Stedallstartswitharatherontologicalquestion“Wheredowecomefrom,whatarewe,wherearewegoing?”andacknowledgesthatthevisionaryRudolfSteiner,whoplantedinagenerallybackwardenvironmentseedsforthefuture,hasgivenhimsofarthemostprofoundanswers.StedallfollowsSteiner’sbiographyinpartoneandstartsatthemarginsoftheAustrian-HungarianempireinwhatisnowCroatiainordertoelaborateonthemainstationsinhistransformativelife:PötschachinLowerAustria,Vienna,Weimar,BerlinandfinallyDornachinSwitzerland.ThebiographicalaccountwhichisalsoaninterestingdocumentofculturalevolutionduringbeforeandafterWWIinCentralEuropeisblendedwithseveralinterviewsofpeoplewhohavestudiedandpracticeSteiner’steachings.Weareintroducedtothebasicconceptsofhiseducationaltheorylike“unlearningwhatwehavelearnedsofar”orthatphysicaldexterityinearlychildhoodtranslatestodexterityofmindandthoughtinlatechildhoodandadolescence.

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The philosophical foundation of the Waldorf approach, anthroposophy, underpins its primary pedagogical goals: to provide an education that enables children to become free human beings, and to help children to incarnate their "unfolding spiritual identity," carried from the preceding spiritual existence, as beings of body, soul, and spirit in this lifetime.

FilmReview:TheChallengesofRudolfSteiner

2018©mingong.org

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WelearnthatSteinerinventedeurhythmy,adancelikeperformanceart,becauseherealizedearlyonthatharmoniousmovementisinmodernsocietiesrathertheexceptionthantherule.Eurhythmy,whichcanalsobeappliedasaformofpsychotherapyhealsthroughmovementbyovercomingtheheavinessoftheearththroughrhythm.Aninterviewedteacherexplainshowthesenaturalrhythmsaretiedtoouremotions:Laughingisbreathingout,cryingisaboutbreathingin.IrecallanaturedocumentationwhichIwatchedlastyearaboutthepairingdanceofbirds,inwhichthespeakersaid:witheachsynchronizedmovementgrowsmutualtrustconfirmingthatthereismuchmoreaboutcommunicationthanwordsintheentireanimalkingdomincludingus.Biodynamicagriculture,aforebodeofpermacultureandmuchofwhatisnowsummarizedundertheumbrellatermorganicagriculture,wasSteiner’slatebrainchild.Hereinstatedancientfarmingcalendars,whichobservedandunderstoodthebasicprinciplesofnatureatatimewhenmodernfarmingtechniquesareonlyabouttotakeholdoftheindustry.Steinerunderstoodagricultureasaprocesstohealtheearth.Hewasbyanymeansfaraheadofhistimeandwouldhaveprobablyburntatthestakeduringthemedievalinquisitionforproposingtofarmerstoapplystrangelypreparedfertilizingmixturescalled500and501.Heconceivedthemasmedicinefortheearth.WeareintroducedtotheCamphillMovement,whichwasfoundedinEnglandduringWWIIbyoneofSteiner’sdisciples,thephysicianKarlKönig.Itisbasedontheanthroposophicalprinciplethatalllifehasvalueandthereforeestablishesincontrasttotheholocaustaninclusiveapproachtoeducationandwork.Mentallyandphysicallyhandicappedareembracedandmadeanintegralpartofsociety.Westarttosuspectthatitisactuallyusnormalfolks,whoreceivehealingthroughvulnerabilityandinnocence.FelixKoguzki,aVienneseherbalistwhotransferredanoverviewofthetraditionalcentralEuropeanplantknowledgetohisfriendSteiner,isshownatthebrinkofWWIasadyingspecies:hunter&gatherergeneralistswhohadawideknowledgeofthelocalecosystem.Itsamazingtorealizethatthisknowledgestartedtodisappearalreadymorethanacenturyagoandthatslowscience–takingfiveminutestolookataplant–issomethingthatneedstobekindledineverychildinordertoinstillandmaintainaweforthenaturalworld.Howdifficulthasthisbecomeinourtimeswhenthenaturalworldcompeteswiththedopamineaddictiongeneratesbythecyberphysicalspace.WeareleftinpartonewiththeimpressionthatSteinerwasanaturalscientistlikehis18thcenturyforefathersAlexandervonHumboldtandWolfgangvonGoethewhowasmoreoverblessedandcursedwithamysticalperceptionofthespiritualworld.Hetriedtomergescienceandspiritualismandrecognizedearlyonthattheincreasinglydualistworldviewof

FilmReview:TheChallengesofRudolfSteiner

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modernistsocietiesconditionsustodisregardthewondersofthephenomenalworldandthemiracleswhichhidebeyondit.

ParttwozoomsinonWaldorfeducationandbiodynamicagriculture.Wearebeingtoldthatchildrenneedtobegiventimetodevelopproperlyandthateducationisnotaboutimpartingknowledgebutaboutawakeningandnurturingwhatchildrenalreadyknow.WelearnthatSteiner’smeta-philosophywasoneofconsciousnessevolutionandthatkarmaandreincarnationcanmakeusrememberthetruepurposeofwhywearehere.ThepresidentoftheUSanthroposophicalsocietysummarizesthechallengesofcontemporaryeducationsystemswhenhesaysthatthegreatcrimeofourtimeisthattheintellectualadultconsciousnessispressedonthechildinthenameofperformanceandacademicachievement.Itisacrimebecausewedenytheinnatequalitiesofchildhoodatthattime.Weshouldbealarmed,becauseatwhathedescribesoftheAmericaneducationsystemismeanwhiletrueallaroundtheglobe:ThepressureonchildrenthroughtestingwhichstartedduringtheBusheraandcontinuedthroughouttheObamaeragivesnospacetoWaldorfeducationandthusnospacetounfoldtheirspiritualidentity.IrecallascenewithmyeldestniecewhograduatedtwoyearsagofromhighschoolinsmallAustriancitynotfarfromViennaandnotatallfarfromwhereSteinerspenthisyouth.Duringthemonthsofpreparationforthehighschoolgraduation,soshetoldme,oneof

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0-7: physical development

7-14: emotional development

14 – 21: intellectual development

21- : self – development

Observation: Industrial education pushes the 3rd phase into the 1st

FilmReview:TheChallengesofRudolfSteiner

2018©mingong.org

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theirteacherstriedadisturbingmethodofgettingherpupilsmotivated.MostlikelyinfluencedbytheresultsofrecentPISAtests,whichput14/15yearoldsintoaglobalizedandindustrializedformatofskillandcompetenceassessment,sheexplainedthemthatiftheywouldnotworkhardtheirjobswillbetakenbyChineseofthesameage.

Oureducationsystems–nomatterinwhichcountry–aretoalargeextenttheresultofcompetingknowledgeeconomies.Asystemstheoryperspectiverevealsthatthiscompetitionistranslatedfromtheregimespherewhichisdominatedbythemodernscience-technology-powercomplextoministriesofeducation,fromtheretomunicipaleducationbureaus,fromtheretoschoolprincipals,fromtheretoteachersandfromthemdirectlyintoourchildren.Insteadofgrantingourchildren,whomwelovebeyondmeasure,alearningenvironmentwhichenablesthemtounfoldtheirinnatenature,weputthemintosystemwhichforcefeedthemandturnthemintoautomatons,whointurnbecomeunhappyadults,obedientnationstatecitizensandloyalconsumers.Waldorfeducationhelpschildrentothinkoutofthebox.ItsthusnosurprisethatSteiner’sphilosophyisinconflictwithexistingpowerstructures.Waldorfeducationdealswithwhatthechildrenarebyinstillingasenseoftrustintoone’sownintuitionthroughloveandasenseoftrustintosocietyatlargethroughcollaboration.Traditionaleducationsystemsdealwithexternaldemandsofsocietyandinstillintoour

OsmoticModellingØ IndividualSphereØ FamilySphereØOrganizationSphereØEducationSphereØEconomicSphereØRegimeSphereØ SocialSphereØTechnologicalSphere

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FilmReview:TheChallengesofRudolfSteiner

2018©mingong.org

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childrencompetitionandfear.RudolfSteiner’sfundamentallegacyisthathesawtheworldasitcouldbeandnotasitwas.Hispathwasthenalonelyone,butwehavearrivedatacrossroadwhichmakesitnecessarythatwelistentohismessageandactuponit.Forthesakeofourselvesandforthesakeofthosewhomwelovemost:ourchildren.Officialfilmsynopsis:http://rudolfsteinerfilm.squarespace.com/synopsis/