About anthroposophy

The word anthroposophy derives from Greek "anthropos" = human and "sofia" = wisdom, that is "wisdom about the human".

The following citatations from various sources are an attempt to describe what anthroposophy is:

"Antroposofi er en erkendelsesvej, som vil føre det åndelige i menneskevæsenet til det åndelige i verdensaltet. Den optræder i mennesket som hjerte- og følelsesbehov. Den må finde sin retfærdiggørelse derved, at den kan tilfredsstille dette behov. Kun den kan anerkende antroposofi, som i den finder det, han må søge ud fra sit eget gemyt. Derfor kan kun sådanne mennesker være antroposoffer, som føler visse spørgsmål om menneskets væsen og om verden som en livsnødvendighed på samme måde, som man føler sult og tørst." Rudolf Steiner: Antroposofiske ledesætninger #1

Mennesket er et væsen, som udfolder sit liv mellem to verdensområder. Med sin legemlige udvikling er det led i en "lavere verden"; med sit sjælevæsen udgør det en "mellemverden", og med sine åndskræfter stræber det mod en "højere verden". Sin legemlige udvikling har mennesket fra det, naturen har givet det; sit sjælevæsen bærer det i sig som sin egen andel; åndskræfterne finder det i sig som gaver, der fører det ud over sig selv til delagtighed i en guddommelig verden. Rudolf Steiner: Antroposofiske ledesætninger #17

Three aspekts can be understood by the word Anthroposophy:

The exact scientific method of research into the supersensible world founded by Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925).

The results of this research. These are also known as "Spiritual Science" and are the necessary complement to Natural Science. They are the science of the supersensible constitution of man, of the spiritual beings in nature and in the cosmos, and they are also the extension of historical and other sciences, e.g. a scientific answer to the question: Who was and is the Christ?

The application of the results gained through Spiritual Science in the practical life of the individual or of the community, for example, in education, medicine, curative education, pharmacy, agriculture, sociology, as well as the diverse branches of the arts. Otto Fränkl-Lundborg: What is Anthroposophy?

Rudolf Steiner was a scientist. One who was very thorough, schooled in many subjects and with a doctorate in philosophy. He held in the course of his life about 6.000 lectures and wrote a large number of books and papers. What made his work and mission differ from that which is normally expected of a scientist was his inborn clear-sightedness, of which he did not speak until well on into maturity. Not before he had thoroughly investigated his own experiences with the exactness of the scientist, and had also schooled himself in these observations, did he begin to share them with other people. His method is scientific, he also demonstrated for his listeners and readers the attitude one has to have in order to be able to work with this extended science. And he constantly encouraged every person to become a scientist. Therese Lindberg: En introduktion till förståelse av antroposofi (transl. from Swedish by E.B.Larsen)