Intuitive Thinking as a Spiritual Path

Of all of his works, Intuitive Thinking as a Spiritual Path is the one that Steiner himself believed would have the longest life and the greatest spiritual and cultural consequences.

It was written in 1894 as a phenomenological account of the "results of observing the human soul according to the methods of natural science. This seminal work asserts that free spiritual activity--understood as the human ability to think and act independently of physical nature--is the suitable path for human beings today to gain true knowledge of themselves and of the universe. This is not merely a philosophical volume, but rather a warm, heart-oriented guide to the practice and experience of living thinking.

This landmark book explores free will from a completely fresh and unique perspective. If an idea is to become action, man must first want it before it can happen. Such an act of will therefore has its grounds only in man himself. Man is then the ultimate determinant of his action. He is free. -Rudolf Steiner Readers will not find abstract philosophy here, but a step-by-step account of how a person may come to experience living, intuitive thinking--"the conscious experience of a purely spiritual content." During the past hundred years since it was written, many have tried to discover this "new thinking" that could help us understand the various spiritual, ecological, social, political, and philosophical issues facing us. But only Rudolf Steiner laid out a path that leads from ordinary thinking to the level of pure spiritual activity--intuitive thinking--in which we become co-creators and co-redeemers of the world.

Product Details:

ISBN: 9780880103855
Paperback, 281 pages.
Publisher: Steiner Books, Published: April 4, 1995
Size: 5.2 x 0.8 x 8.1 inches. Weight: 0.86 Lbs.

Author

Rudolf Steiner (1861 - 1925)

Rudolf, born in Kraljevec,, Croatia, lived in Weimar and Berlin, where he became a well-published scientific, and philosophical scholar. Known for his work with Goethe’s scientific writings, his spiritual teaching career began under the auspices of the Theosophical Society. Steiner came to use the term Anthroposophy (and spiritual science) for his philosophy, spiritual research. The influence of Steiner’s multifaceted genius led to innovative and holistic approaches in medicine and various therapies. Rudolf Steiner lectured throughout Europe on philosophy, religious renewal, Waldorf education, and biodynamic agriculture. He also introduced Goethean science, architecture, and the arts of drama, and eurythmy. In 1924, Rudolf Steiner founded the General Anthroposophical Society, which today has branches throughout the world. He died in Dornach, Switzerland.          

Translator

Michael Lipson, PhD, author of Stairway of Surprise: Six Steps to a Creative Life (2002) and Group Meditation (2011), is also the translator of Rudolf Steiner's Intuitive Thinking as a Spiritual Path: A Philosophy of Freedom and of numerous books by Georg Kühlewind. After working with children with HIV/AIDS for nine years in New York City's Harlem Hospital, he moved with his wife and two children to the Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts. Dr. Lipson conducts a practice in Clinical Psychology and teaches meditation internationally.  

What is our relationship to the planets we see in the night sky? Does the cosmos have any affect on our individual lives? Modern science tells us that we are an insignificant accident in a vast, indifferent universe. Rudolf Steiner maintains that we are intimately enmeshed with the whole cosmos, right down to the very structure of our physical bodies.

In these talks, Steiner explores our relationship as individuals to the spiritual cosmos―where we will all become cosmonauts one day. The key to being at home in the universe is to comprehend the significance of our individual, physical lives on Earth and what happens when we leave our physical bodies behind.

Steiner describes his view of our journey after death and our subsequent return to Earth and a new life. He describes the “planetary” spheres through which we pass and how they affect our future life. He shows us how our character and actions on Earth affects us after we die, and how those experiences in turn shape our next physical life.

This is not just more information to add to our already overloaded store of abstract concepts; Steiner gives imaginative exercises that help us explore our suprasensory, spiritual nature. We can begin right now to act more consciously by recognizing the concrete nature of morality and the real consequences of our present lives.

The introduction and comprehensive afterword by Paul Mar­gulies explain and contextualize Steiner’s text, revealing a message that is more vital and relevant than ever in our frenzied, materialistic times. This book can help us experience more meaning in life and become more at home as spiritual citizens of the universe.

Title of the original German edition: « Der übersinnliche Mensch, anthroposophisch erfaßt. »  This volume is a thoroughly revised edition. The first edition was titled Supersensible Man.