Study Course Steps .01 - .012 - The Philosophy Of Freedom Steiner


0. The Goal Of Knowledge Part 1 Striving For Individuality CHAPTER Part I THEME: Cultivation Of Individuality - The uniqueness of the individual is something worth cultivating. Theme: Individuality topic .01: Shake Off Authority topic .02: Inner Validation topic .03: Self-Development topic .04: Leaderless Striving topic .05: Select Own Ideals topic .06: Inner Worthiness Of Each topic .07: Nonconformity topic .08: Unique Perfection Of Each topic .09: Unique Individual Contribution topic .010: Free Creative Expression topic .011: Striving For Freedom topic .012: Independence
"I believe one of the fundamental characteristics of our age is that human interest centers in the cultivation of individuality." TPOF 0.0 What is the Cult Of Individuality? 0.0 Individuality From collectivism To individualism

STEP .01 Shake Off Authority From submission to authority To shake off authority “An energetic effort is being made to shake off every kind of authority.”


STEP .02 Inner Validation From expert validation To inner validation “Nothing is accepted as valid, unless it springs from the roots of individuality.”


STEP .03 Self-Development From distracted by world To commitment to self-development “Everything that hinders the individual in the full development of his powers is thrust aside.”


STEP .04 Leaderless Striving From follow your hero To leaderless striving “The saying ‘Each one of us must choose his hero in whose footsteps he toils up to Mount Olympus’ no longer holds true for us.”


STEP .05 Select Own Ideals From forced ideals To select own ideals “We allow no ideals to be forced upon us.”


STEP .06 Inner Worthiness Of Each From some are worthy To inner worthiness of each “We are convinced that in each of us, if only we probe deep enough into the very heart of our being, there dwells something noble, something worthy of development.”


STEP .07 Nonconformity From strive to conform To nonconformity (strive to be yourself) “We no longer believe there is a norm of human life to which we must all strive to conform.”


STEP .08 Perfection Of Each From perfection of group To unique perfection of each “We regard the perfection of the whole as depending on the unique perfection of each single individual.”


STEP .09 Unique Contribution From collective action To unique individual contribution “We do not want to do what anyone else can do equally well. No, our contribution to the development of the world, however trifling, must be something that, by reason of the uniqueness of our nature, we alone can offer.”


STEP .010 Free Creative Expression From rules of expression To free creative expression “Never have artists been less concerned about rules and norms in art than today. Each one asserts the right to express in the creations of his art what is unique in him, just as there are playwrights who write in dialect rather than conform to the standard diction grammar demands.”


STEP .011 Striving For Freedom From striving for collective bondage To striving for freedom “No better expression for these phenomena can be found than this, they result from the individual’s striving for freedom, developed to its highest pitch.”


Step .012 Independence From dependent on others To independent of others “We do not want to be dependent in any respect, and where dependence must be, we tolerate it only on condition it coincides with a vital interest of our individuality.”

BOOK TEXT Chapter 0. THE GOAL OF KNOWLEDGE Part One 0.0 Striving For Individuality [1] I BELIEVE one of the fundamental characteristics of our age is that human interest centers in the cultivation of individuality. An energetic effort is being made to shake off every kind of authority. Nothing is accepted as valid, unless it springs from the roots of individuality. Everything that hinders the individual from fully developing his powers is thrust aside. The saying “Each one of us must choose his hero in whose footsteps he toils up to Mount Olympus” no longer holds true for us. We allow no ideals to be forced upon us. We are convinced that in each of us, if only we probe deep enough into the very heart of our being, there dwells something noble, something worthy of development. We no longer believe there is a norm of human life to which we must all strive to conform. We regard the perfection of the whole as depending on the unique perfection of each single individual. We do not want to do what anyone else can do equally well. No, our contribution to the development of the world, however trifling, must be something that, by reason of the uniqueness of our nature, we alone can offer. Never have artists been less concerned about rules and norms in art than today. Each one asserts the right to express, in the creations of his art, what is unique in him. Just as there are playwrights who write in slang rather than conform to the standard diction grammar demands. [2] No better expression for these phenomena can be found than this, they result from the individual’s striving towards freedom, developed to its highest pitch. We do not want to be dependent in any respect, and where dependence must be, we tolerate it only on condition it coincides with a vital interest of our individuality.