The Challenges of Rudolf Steiner · learn that Steiner’s meta-philosophy was one of consciousness...
Transcript of The Challenges of Rudolf Steiner · learn that Steiner’s meta-philosophy was one of consciousness...
FilmReview:TheChallengesofRudolfSteiner
2018©mingong.org
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Filmedin2011,thistwo-partdocumentarybyveteranfilm-makerJonathanStedalltellsthestoryofphilosopherRudolfSteiner’sremarkablelife(1861-1925)andexplorestheinfluenceofhisideasandinsightsonawholerangeofcontemporaryactivities–education,agriculture,medicine,socialandfinancialissues,andthearts.Stedallstartswitharatherontologicalquestion“Wheredowecomefrom,whatarewe,wherearewegoing?”andacknowledgesthatthevisionaryRudolfSteiner,whoplantedinagenerallybackwardenvironmentseedsforthefuture,hasgivenhimsofarthemostprofoundanswers.StedallfollowsSteiner’sbiographyinpartoneandstartsatthemarginsoftheAustrian-HungarianempireinwhatisnowCroatiainordertoelaborateonthemainstationsinhistransformativelife:PötschachinLowerAustria,Vienna,Weimar,BerlinandfinallyDornachinSwitzerland.ThebiographicalaccountwhichisalsoaninterestingdocumentofculturalevolutionduringbeforeandafterWWIinCentralEuropeisblendedwithseveralinterviewsofpeoplewhohavestudiedandpracticeSteiner’steachings.Weareintroducedtothebasicconceptsofhiseducationaltheorylike“unlearningwhatwehavelearnedsofar”orthatphysicaldexterityinearlychildhoodtranslatestodexterityofmindandthoughtinlatechildhoodandadolescence.
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The philosophical foundation of the Waldorf approach, anthroposophy, underpins its primary pedagogical goals: to provide an education that enables children to become free human beings, and to help children to incarnate their "unfolding spiritual identity," carried from the preceding spiritual existence, as beings of body, soul, and spirit in this lifetime.
FilmReview:TheChallengesofRudolfSteiner
2018©mingong.org
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WelearnthatSteinerinventedeurhythmy,adancelikeperformanceart,becauseherealizedearlyonthatharmoniousmovementisinmodernsocietiesrathertheexceptionthantherule.Eurhythmy,whichcanalsobeappliedasaformofpsychotherapyhealsthroughmovementbyovercomingtheheavinessoftheearththroughrhythm.Aninterviewedteacherexplainshowthesenaturalrhythmsaretiedtoouremotions:Laughingisbreathingout,cryingisaboutbreathingin.IrecallanaturedocumentationwhichIwatchedlastyearaboutthepairingdanceofbirds,inwhichthespeakersaid:witheachsynchronizedmovementgrowsmutualtrustconfirmingthatthereismuchmoreaboutcommunicationthanwordsintheentireanimalkingdomincludingus.Biodynamicagriculture,aforebodeofpermacultureandmuchofwhatisnowsummarizedundertheumbrellatermorganicagriculture,wasSteiner’slatebrainchild.Hereinstatedancientfarmingcalendars,whichobservedandunderstoodthebasicprinciplesofnatureatatimewhenmodernfarmingtechniquesareonlyabouttotakeholdoftheindustry.Steinerunderstoodagricultureasaprocesstohealtheearth.Hewasbyanymeansfaraheadofhistimeandwouldhaveprobablyburntatthestakeduringthemedievalinquisitionforproposingtofarmerstoapplystrangelypreparedfertilizingmixturescalled500and501.Heconceivedthemasmedicinefortheearth.WeareintroducedtotheCamphillMovement,whichwasfoundedinEnglandduringWWIIbyoneofSteiner’sdisciples,thephysicianKarlKönig.Itisbasedontheanthroposophicalprinciplethatalllifehasvalueandthereforeestablishesincontrasttotheholocaustaninclusiveapproachtoeducationandwork.Mentallyandphysicallyhandicappedareembracedandmadeanintegralpartofsociety.Westarttosuspectthatitisactuallyusnormalfolks,whoreceivehealingthroughvulnerabilityandinnocence.FelixKoguzki,aVienneseherbalistwhotransferredanoverviewofthetraditionalcentralEuropeanplantknowledgetohisfriendSteiner,isshownatthebrinkofWWIasadyingspecies:hunter&gatherergeneralistswhohadawideknowledgeofthelocalecosystem.Itsamazingtorealizethatthisknowledgestartedtodisappearalreadymorethanacenturyagoandthatslowscience–takingfiveminutestolookataplant–issomethingthatneedstobekindledineverychildinordertoinstillandmaintainaweforthenaturalworld.Howdifficulthasthisbecomeinourtimeswhenthenaturalworldcompeteswiththedopamineaddictiongeneratesbythecyberphysicalspace.WeareleftinpartonewiththeimpressionthatSteinerwasanaturalscientistlikehis18thcenturyforefathersAlexandervonHumboldtandWolfgangvonGoethewhowasmoreoverblessedandcursedwithamysticalperceptionofthespiritualworld.Hetriedtomergescienceandspiritualismandrecognizedearlyonthattheincreasinglydualistworldviewof
FilmReview:TheChallengesofRudolfSteiner
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modernistsocietiesconditionsustodisregardthewondersofthephenomenalworldandthemiracleswhichhidebeyondit.
ParttwozoomsinonWaldorfeducationandbiodynamicagriculture.Wearebeingtoldthatchildrenneedtobegiventimetodevelopproperlyandthateducationisnotaboutimpartingknowledgebutaboutawakeningandnurturingwhatchildrenalreadyknow.WelearnthatSteiner’smeta-philosophywasoneofconsciousnessevolutionandthatkarmaandreincarnationcanmakeusrememberthetruepurposeofwhywearehere.ThepresidentoftheUSanthroposophicalsocietysummarizesthechallengesofcontemporaryeducationsystemswhenhesaysthatthegreatcrimeofourtimeisthattheintellectualadultconsciousnessispressedonthechildinthenameofperformanceandacademicachievement.Itisacrimebecausewedenytheinnatequalitiesofchildhoodatthattime.Weshouldbealarmed,becauseatwhathedescribesoftheAmericaneducationsystemismeanwhiletrueallaroundtheglobe:ThepressureonchildrenthroughtestingwhichstartedduringtheBusheraandcontinuedthroughouttheObamaeragivesnospacetoWaldorfeducationandthusnospacetounfoldtheirspiritualidentity.IrecallascenewithmyeldestniecewhograduatedtwoyearsagofromhighschoolinsmallAustriancitynotfarfromViennaandnotatallfarfromwhereSteinerspenthisyouth.Duringthemonthsofpreparationforthehighschoolgraduation,soshetoldme,oneof
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0-7: physical development
7-14: emotional development
14 – 21: intellectual development
21- : self – development
Observation: Industrial education pushes the 3rd phase into the 1st
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theirteacherstriedadisturbingmethodofgettingherpupilsmotivated.MostlikelyinfluencedbytheresultsofrecentPISAtests,whichput14/15yearoldsintoaglobalizedandindustrializedformatofskillandcompetenceassessment,sheexplainedthemthatiftheywouldnotworkhardtheirjobswillbetakenbyChineseofthesameage.
Oureducationsystems–nomatterinwhichcountry–aretoalargeextenttheresultofcompetingknowledgeeconomies.Asystemstheoryperspectiverevealsthatthiscompetitionistranslatedfromtheregimespherewhichisdominatedbythemodernscience-technology-powercomplextoministriesofeducation,fromtheretomunicipaleducationbureaus,fromtheretoschoolprincipals,fromtheretoteachersandfromthemdirectlyintoourchildren.Insteadofgrantingourchildren,whomwelovebeyondmeasure,alearningenvironmentwhichenablesthemtounfoldtheirinnatenature,weputthemintosystemwhichforcefeedthemandturnthemintoautomatons,whointurnbecomeunhappyadults,obedientnationstatecitizensandloyalconsumers.Waldorfeducationhelpschildrentothinkoutofthebox.ItsthusnosurprisethatSteiner’sphilosophyisinconflictwithexistingpowerstructures.Waldorfeducationdealswithwhatthechildrenarebyinstillingasenseoftrustintoone’sownintuitionthroughloveandasenseoftrustintosocietyatlargethroughcollaboration.Traditionaleducationsystemsdealwithexternaldemandsofsocietyandinstillintoour
OsmoticModellingØ IndividualSphereØ FamilySphereØOrganizationSphereØEducationSphereØEconomicSphereØRegimeSphereØ SocialSphereØTechnologicalSphere
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FilmReview:TheChallengesofRudolfSteiner
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childrencompetitionandfear.RudolfSteiner’sfundamentallegacyisthathesawtheworldasitcouldbeandnotasitwas.Hispathwasthenalonelyone,butwehavearrivedatacrossroadwhichmakesitnecessarythatwelistentohismessageandactuponit.Forthesakeofourselvesandforthesakeofthosewhomwelovemost:ourchildren.Officialfilmsynopsis:http://rudolfsteinerfilm.squarespace.com/synopsis/