The Origin of Suffering, The Origin of Evil, Illness and Death

The Origin of Suffering, The Origin of Evil, Illness and Death

The highest elements in the consciousness of humanity are linked to suffering. There is a connection between pain and suffering, illness and death, and the highest a human being can attain: the fruit of pain is knowledge.

Translated from shorthand reports unrevised by the lecturer and at certain places, missing sentences and words, by M. Cotterell. (lectures 1–2) and V. E. Watkin (lecture 3).

The original German texts of these lectures are published under the title: Die Erkenntnis des Ubersinnlichen in unserer Zeit und deren Bedeutung für das heutige Leben. (Vol. 55 in the Bibliographical Survey, 1961.)

About the Author

Rudolf Steiner (1861–1925) was born in the small village of Kraljevec, Austro-Hungarian Empire (now in Croatia), where he grew up (see right). As a young man, he lived in Weimar and Berlin, where he became a well-published scientific, literary, and philosophical scholar, known especially for his work with Goethe’s scientific writings. At the beginning of the twentieth century, he began to develop his early philosophical principles into an approach to systematic research into psychological and spiritual phenomena. Formally beginning his spiritual teaching career under the auspices of the Theosophical Society, Steiner came to use the term Anthroposophy (and spiritual science) for his philosophy, spiritual research, and findings. The influence of Steiner’s multifaceted genius has led to innovative and holistic approaches in medicine, various therapies, philosophy, religious renewal, Waldorf education, education for special needs, threefold economics, biodynamic agriculture, Goethean science, architecture, and the arts of drama, speech, and eurythmy. In 1924, Rudolf Steiner founded the General Anthroposophical Society, which today has branches throughout the world. He died in Dornach, Switzerland.