In one reference to his book The Philosophy of Freedom, Steiner stresses that, among other things, he had been concerned to clarify the experience of freedom in thought, in pure thinking emancipated from the senses.

“In thoughts which consciously arise in the human soul as an ethical, moral ideal, in thoughts which have the strength to influence the human will and to lead it to action, in such thoughts there is freedom.


We can speak of freedom when we speak of actions shaped by the human being’s own free thinking, when he reaches the point, through a moral self-training, of not allowing his actions to be influenced by instincts, passions, emotions, or by his temperament, but only by the devoted love for an action. Out of the ideal strength of pure ethical thinking --the devoted love of an action-- something can develop. This is really free action.”

Vision of Love by Bernard Nesfield-Cookson p.133