Since the early centuries of Christianity the idea of the human being as a tripartite entity of body, soul and spirit has been under steady and pervasive attack. Western religion, science, and philosophy all have promoted a dualistic concept of our human make-up, splitting reality into an inner life of soul and an outer life of solid objects perceivable via the senses. This has left us living in a materialistic world without spirit. Even our religious life allocates the spirit to the so-called afterlife. Rudolf Steiner has taken great issue with this concept of the human being, beginning in his earliest works to present a direct path to the spirit via our own consciousness, via the medium of “living” thinking. Our urgent task in this era of human development is to break the spell or Maya of dualism and create in ourselves an “exceptional state” of consciousness that can serve as a new portal to the spiritual world.

This is the first step toward developing a uniquely western form of spiritual clairvoyance through thinking. Comparable to Otto Scharmer’s concept of “presencing,” this “exceptional” state of consciousness can bring innovative, creative solutions to the pervasive problems of our time—by awakening the spirit of our own “I”.

In this course we will identify in specific terms the path of development by which one can experience the “living” spirit in oneself and by which the spiritual world can again make itself and its wisdom known directly through the human “I”. Steiner’s foundational work The Philosophy of Freedom (entitled below as Intuitive Thinking as a Spiritual Path) will be the principal text for the course. Chapters from Anthroposophy and the Philosophy of Freedom by Sergei O. Prokofieff will also be referenced.

Text: Rudolf Steiner, Intuitive Thinking as a Spiritual Path
Suggested reading:  Sergei Prokofieff, Anthroposophy and the Philosophy of Freedom

ROBERT HILL

ROBERT HILL has a long association with the Rudolf Steiner Institute, having served at various times as registrar, director, faculty member, president and board member. He holds an MFA in creative writing and has completed all course work for a PhD in Old English Literature. He was Instructor of English at a number of colleges, including Bryn Mawr College and Haverford College. For eighteen years he worked as an organizational development consultant for Tunnell Consulting, holding the position of President and CEO during the last five years of his tenure. He is currently retired and is working on a book and serving on the board of several anthroposophical institutions.