The Renewal of the Social Organism

The Renewal of the Social Organism (CW 24)

“History often provides insight into the present. Consider the American South one hundred and fifty years ago, for example. There, human rights and economic servitude were compressed onto a single domain for black Americans. They became a means of production that could be bought and sold as a commodity. In many parts of the South, it was forbidden to teach blacks to read. Control by law of education, part of culture, was found necessary to subordinate human rights to economics. The domain of rights and economics thus also engulfed culture.” —Joseph Weizenbaum (from the foreword)

Culture, politics, economics—these are the three core activities of society; the health of any society depends on a harmonious interaction among these three activities. And, according to Rudolf Steiner, this is impossible unless they are autonomous to the degree that they can each find their own essential character. In his foreword, Joseph Weizenbaum observes that those who framed the United States Constitution understood this—at least partially—when they developed the doctrine of a separate church and state.

These essays cover a range of subjects—money, the division of labor, human motivation, and education. They offer refreshing insights into the nature of modern society as well as guidance for solving today’s pressing social problems.

This book is translated from the German: Aufsätze über die Dreigliederung des sozialen Organismus und zur Zeitlage 1915-1921 (GA 24).

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. 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.