Truth and Science: Prelude to “The Philosophy of Spiritual Activity”
Truth and Science is Rudolf Steiner’s doctoral thesis as well as a “prelude” to The Philosophy of Spiritual Activity. It begins with this sentence: “By analyzing the act of knowledge in a way that goes back to its basic elements, the following discussion has the task of correctly formulating the problem that knowledge poses, and of indicating the path to a solution of it.”
This volume is a translation from German of Wahrheit und Wissenschaft (GA 3).
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.
george katchmer (verified owner) –
The book is in the German philosophical tradition. Dr. Steiner deals mainly with a critique of Kant’s epistemology. There is no reference to Wittgenstein’s truth tables but Dr. Steiner does spend his time with the synthetic a priori and I agree with his position as opposed to Russell and Whitehead who collapsed this category into the analytical a priori. I believe that their “Principia Mathematica” also came later, so Dr. Steiner would not have had access to either Wittgenstein or Russell’s work. I have actually read the “Principia” (God help me! although it was over 40 years ago) but have reverted to Dr. Steiner’s position which allows for metaphysical realities.