2008/02/01 by Peter Staudenmaier · 2 citations
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #Religious Studies and Spiritual Practices #Education Methods and Practices #Folklore, Mythology, and Literature Studies
paper · doi:10.1525/nr.2008.11.3.4
openalex publication_date 2008/02/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
With its origins in modern Theosophy, Rudolf Steiner's Anthroposophy is built around a racial view of human nature arranged in a hierarchical framework. This article examines the details of the Anthroposophical theory of cosmic and individual redemption and draws out the characteristic assumptions about racial and ethnic difference that underlie it. Particular attention is given to textual sources unavailable in English, which reveal the specific features of Steiner's account of "race evolution" and "soul evolution." Placing Steiner's worldview in its historical and ideological context, the article highlights the contours of racial thinking within a prominent alternative spiritual movement and delineates the central role of a racially configured conception of evolution within Anthroposophy past and present.