individualist anarchism - Blog - The Philosophy Of Freedom Steiner2024-03-28T20:06:02Zhttps://philosophyoffreedom.com/profiles/blog/feed/tag/individualist+anarchismThe Individualist Anarchism Of Rudolf Steiner And John Henry Mackayhttps://philosophyoffreedom.com/profiles/blog/individualist-anarchism-of-rudolf-steiner-and-john-henry-mackay2019-08-14T02:10:00.000Z2019-08-14T02:10:00.000ZTom Lasthttps://philosophyoffreedom.com/members/00yzc179qgdki<div><p><strong><span class="font-size-5">Individualist Anarchism</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-5"> An Opponent of the 'Propaganda of the Deed'</span></p>
<p>An Open Letter to Herr Dr. Rudolf Steiner,<br /> Editor of the Magazine for Literature,<br /> In response to John Henry Mackay</p>
<p>Written in 1898; GA 31; Bn 31.2.30 and 31.2.31</p>
<p>From the Magazin für Literatur of 30 September 1898. This translation, according to text in Volume 31 of the Complete Edition of the works of Rudolf Steiner, consistes of two letters: the first from John Henry Mackay to Rudolf Steiner, Bn 31.2.30, and the second, an answer from Rudolf Steiner to Mr. Mackay, Bn 31.2.31. Translated by Daniel Hafner: first English translation, revised as of February, 2007. Reproduced here with the kind permission of the translator, and the Rudolf Steiner Nachlassverwltung, Dornach, Switzerland. <br /> Rudolf Steiner Archive Link: <a href="https://wn.rsarchive.org/Articles/Anarcy_index.html">https://wn.rsarchive.org/Articles/Anarcy_index.html</a></p>
<p><span class="font-size-5">John Henry Mackay letter to Rudolf Steiner</span></p>
<p>Individualist Anarchism:<br /> An Opponent of the “Propaganda of the Deed”</p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}84730983,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}84730983,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="84730983?profile=original" width="296" /></a>Dear Herr Dr. Steiner!<br /><br /> More urgently than ever in the last years, the request of my friends reaches me in these days to take a position anew against the “tactics of violence,” so as not to see my name thrown together with those “anarchists” who are — no anarchists, but one and all revolutionary communists. People are pointing out to me that as a foreigner I am running a danger, in the event of the international measure of an interment of the “anarchists,” of being dismissed from Germany.<br /><br /> I refuse to follow the advice of my friends. No government is so blind and so foolish as to proceed against a person who participates in public life solely through his writings, and does so in the sense of a reshaping of conditions without bloodshed. Besides, for years I have unfortunately lost almost all outer contact with the social movement in Europe, whose outer development, by the way, no longer claims my interest in the same degree as the spiritual progress of the idea of equal freedom in the heads of individuals, which is the only thing all hope for the future still rests upon.<br /><br /> In 1891, in my work The Anarchists (in both editions now published by K. Henckell & Co. in Zurich and Leipzig), in the 8th chapter, entitled “The Propaganda of Communism,” I took a position with Auban against the “propaganda of the deed,” so sharply and unambiguously that there cannot be the slightest doubt as to how I think about it. I just reread the chapter for the first time in five years, and have nothing to add to it; I could not today say better and more clearly what I think of the tactics of the communists, and their dangerousness in every respect. If since then a portion of the German communists has been convinced of the harmfulness and pointlessness of every violent proceeding, then I claim an essential part in this service of enlightenment.<br /><br /> Also, I am not in the habit of repeating myself, and moreover, for years I have been occupied with an extensive project, in which I am trying to approach psychologically all questions pertaining to the individual and his position toward the state.<br /><br /> Finally, in the seven years since the appearance of my work, the situation has, after all, changed drastically, and one knows today, wherever one wants to know it, and not only in the circles of experts, that not only in respect of tactics but also in all fundamental questions of world view, there are unbridgeable contrasts between the anarchists who are anarchists and those who falsely so call themselves and are called, and that apart from the wish for an improvement and reshaping of social conditions, the two have nothing, but nothing whatsoever, in common.<br /><br /> Whoever still doesn’t know it can learn it from the leaflet by Benj. R. Tucker State Socialism and Anarchism, which he can get for 20 pfennig from the publisher B. Zack, Berlin SE, Oppelnerstraße 45, and in which he will also find a list of all the writings of individual anarchism — an incomparable opportunity to increase his knowledge in an invaluable way for the price of a glass of beer.<br /><br /> To be sure, there is a dirty press (it strangely prefers to call itself the decent press), which continues to falsify ever anew even established facts that have become a matter of history. But any battle against it is not only pointless but degrading. It lies because it wants to lie.<br /><br /> With friendly greetings, your devoted<br /> John Henry Mackay<br /> for now Saarbrucken, Rhine Province, Pesterstr. 4<br /> 15 September 1898.</p>
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<p><span class="font-size-5">Rudolf Steiner's answer to John Henry Mackay</span></p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}73979787,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}73980022,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="73980022?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="296" /></a>Dear Herr Mackay!</p>
<p>Four years ago, after the appearance of my Philosophy of Freedom, you expressed to me your agreement with my direction of ideas. I openly admit that this gave me deeply felt joy. For I have the conviction that we agree, with respect to our views, every bit as far as two natures fully independent of one another can agree. We have the same goals, even though we have worked our way through to our world of thought on quite different paths. You too feel this. A proof of this is the fact that you chose me to address the above letter to. I value being addressed by you as like-minded.<br /><br /> Hitherto I have always avoided using even the term “individualist anarchism” or “theoretical anarchism” for my world view. For I put very little stock in such designations. If one speaks one’s views clearly and positively in one’s writings: what is then the need of also designating these views with a convenient word? After all, everyone connects quite definite traditional notions with such a word, which reproduce only imprecisely what the particular personality has to say. I utter my thoughts; I characterize my goals. I myself have no need to name my way of thinking with a customary word.<br /><br /> If, however, I were to say, in the sense in which such things can be decided, whether the term “individualist anarchist” is applicable to me, I would have to answer with an unconditional “Yes.” And because I lay claim to this designation for myself, I too would like to say, just at this moment, with a few words, exactly what distinguishes “us,” the “individualist anarchists,” from the devotees of the so-called “propaganda of the deed.” I do know that for rational people I shall be saying nothing new. But I am not as optimistic as you, dear Herr Mackay, who simply say, “No government is so blind and foolish as to proceed against a person who participates in public life solely through his writings, and does so in the sense of a reshaping of conditions without bloodshed.” You have, take no offense at me for this my only objection, not considered with how little rationality the world is governed.<br /><br /> Thus I would indeed like to speak once distinctly. The “individualist anarchist” wants no person to be hindered by anything in being able to bring to unfolding the abilities and forces that lie in him. Individuals should assert themselves in a fully free battle of competition. The present state has no sense for this battle of competition. It hinders the individual at every step in the unfolding of his abilities. It hates the individual. It says: I can only use a person who behaves thus and thus. Whoever is different, I shall force him to become the way I want. Now the state believes people can only get along if one tells them: you must be like this. And if you are not like that, then you’ll just have to — be like that anyway. The individualist anarchist, on the other hand, holds that the best situation would result if one would give people free way. He has the trust that they would find their direction themselves. Naturally he does not believe that the day after tomorrow there would be no more pickpockets if one would abolish the state tomorrow. But he knows that one cannot by authority and force educate people to freeness. He knows this one thing: one clears the way for the most independent people by doing away with all force and authority.<br /><br /> But it is upon force and authority that the present states are founded. The individualist anarchist stands in enmity toward them, because they suppress liberty. He wants nothing but the free, unhindered unfolding of powers. He wants to eliminate force, which oppresses the free unfolding. He knows that at the final moment, when social democracy draws its consequences, the state will have its cannons work. The individualist anarchist knows that the representatives of authority will always reach for measures of force in the end. But he is of the conviction that everything of force suppresses liberty. That is why he battles against the state, which rests upon force — and that is why he battles just as energetically against the “propaganda of the deed,” which no less rests upon measures of force. When a state has a person beheaded or locked up — one can call it what one will — on account of his opinion, that appears abominable to the individualist anarchist. It naturally appears no less abominable to him when a Luccheni stabs a woman to death who happens to be the Empress of Austria. It belongs to the very first principles of individualist anarchism to battle against things of that kind. If he wanted to condone the like, then he would have to admit that he does not know why he is battling against the state. He battles against force, which suppresses liberty, and he battles against it just the same when the state does violence to an idealist of the idea of freedom, as when a stupid vain youngster treacherously murders the likeable romantic on the imperial throne of Austria.<br /><br /> To our opponents it cannot be said distinctly enough that the “individualist anarchists” energetically battle against the so-called “propaganda of the deed.” There is, apart from the measures of force used by states, perhaps nothing as disgusting to these anarchists as these Caserios and Lucchenis. But I am not as optimistic as you, dear Herr Mackay. For I cannot usually find that speck of rationality that is, after all, required for such crude distinctions as that between “individualist anarchism” and “propaganda of the deed,” where I would like to seek it.<br /><br /> In friendly inclination, yours<br /> Rudolf Steiner</p></div>#1 The Individualist Anarchism Roots Of Rudolf Steiner's Philosophy Of Freedomhttps://philosophyoffreedom.com/profiles/blog/the-individualist-anarchism-roots-of-the-philosophy-of-freedom2017-11-14T12:40:00.000Z2017-11-14T12:40:00.000ZTom Lasthttps://philosophyoffreedom.com/members/00yzc179qgdki<div><table style="width:650px;" border="0" cellpadding="20">
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<p><span class="font-size-4">When asked which of his books he would most want rescued if some catastrophe should strike, Steiner always unhesitatingly named The Philosophy of Freedom.</span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-4">Respected Scholar Or “Mad” Occultist</span></strong><br /> <span class="font-size-4">F. Rittlemeyer asked Rudolf Steiner why he never touched upon occult topics before his fortieth year? Steiner replied,<span style="color:#000080;">"I first had to attain a certain position in the world. People could say of my present writings (occult) that they are " mad ". Then, however, there are my earlier works, (philosophy) which cannot be ignored."</span> Rudolf Steiner, Life and Work Volume 2 (1890-1900) by Peter Selg</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Rudolf Steiner is known for two periods of his life; his “Sane” Period as a respected scholar and his “Mad” Period as an occult seer. This separation is due to the abilities required to verify his work.</span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-4">The Philosophy Of Freedom (science of freedom)</span></strong><br /> <span class="font-size-4">“What I was really trying to do in The Philosophy of Freedom, was to locate freedom empirically, and thus put it on a solidly scientific basis.”</span><br /> <span class="font-size-4"><strong>Ability required:</strong> observation of thought</span><br /> <span class="font-size-4"><strong>Realm:</strong> conceptual world</span><br /> <span class="font-size-4">The ability required to verify or contest the content of The Philosophy Of Freedom is the observation of thought. Every normal person has this ability.</span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-4">Anthroposophy (spiritual science)</span></strong><br /> <span class="font-size-4"><strong>Ability required:</strong> clairvoyance</span><br /> <span class="font-size-4"><strong>Realm:</strong> spiritual world</span><br /> <span class="font-size-4">The ability required to verify or contest the content of Anthroposophy is not normal and must be developed through many years of rigorous and demanding exercises.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><strong>Mad Man Test:</strong> You can not be accused of being mad if it is explainable or is proved to be observable.</span><br /> <span class="font-size-4" style="color:#000080;">“Whatever principle we wish to establish, we must either prove we have observed it somewhere, or we must express it in the form of clear thought that can be rethought by others. Every philosopher setting out to explain his fundamental principles must express them in conceptual form, and so use thought.” TPOF 3.0</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">The Philosophy Of Freedom stands on its own completely independent of his later spiritual research and independent of the Theosophical / Anthroposophical Society, <span class="font-size-4" style="color:#000080;">“this book occupies a position completely independent of my writings on actual spiritual scientific matters... What I have said in this book may be acceptable even to some who, for reasons of their own, refuse to have anything to do with the results of my researches into the spiritual realm.”</span> <span style="color:#000080;">Rudolf Steiner, The Philosophy of Freedom, 1918 Preface to the Revised Edition.</span></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4" style="color:#000080;"><span class="font-size-4">“You will find nothing at all in The Philosophy of Freedom that is derived from clairvoyant communications of spiritual science. It is written for the express purpose of disciplining thinking without any mention of theosophy.”</span></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><span class="font-size-4"><span style="color:#000080;">“One of the things most centrally needed is clarity on the path of inner striving, a clarity of inner striving comparable to the clarity of external striving. Not vague mysticism, but brightest clarity.”</span> </span></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3293860997?profile=original"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3293862442?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="650" alt="3293862442?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" /></a></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">In the first period of his life Rudolf Steiner was immersed in his path to freedom, and then wrote a book describing his journey.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4" style="color:#000080;">“My purpose was to write a biographical account, of how one human soul made the difficult ascent to freedom.”</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4" style="color:#000080;">“I found my own way as best I could, and then later on, described the route that I had taken.”</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">After The Philosophy Of Freedom was published, Steiner was disappointed readers were unable to understand it.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4" style="color:#000080;">“Back in the 1890’s when the book was published, people hadn’t the least idea what to do with it. It was as though Europeans had been given a book in Chinese, and couldn’t understand a thing it said.”</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">This is why he was excited to find others striving in the direction of the principles in The Philosophy Of Freedom—the individualist anarchists.</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#993300;"><strong><span class="font-size-4">The Individualist Anarchism Roots Of Rudolf Steiner's Philosophy Of Freedom</span></strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">What Is Individualist Anarchism?</span><br /> <span class="font-size-4">Was Rudolf Steiner An Individualist Anarchist?</span><br /> <span class="font-size-4">Are You An Individualist Anarchist At Heart?</span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-4" style="color:#993300;">What Is Individualist Anarchism?<br /></span></strong><span class="font-size-4">Individualist anarchism is the branch of anarchism that emphasizes the individual and their will over external determinants such as groups, society, traditions and ideological systems.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><strong style="background-color:transparent;">Anarchism (freedom from)<br /> </strong> An anarchist denies authority. The anarchist wishes to live without gods or masters; without patrons or directors; without obedience to collective morals. He wants to live freely, to live his own idea of life. He is opposed to every regime, every social system, every state of things that imposes its domination over the individual and every attempt by another or a group to exploit the individual.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><strong>Individualism (freedom to)</strong></span><br /> <span class="font-size-4">Individualism is a view that stresses the importance and worth of each person. Individual initiative, self-reliance and the freedom of expression are important.</span></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3293861904?profile=original"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3293861904?profile=original" alt="3293861904?profile=original" /></a></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Stirner and the Young Hegelians discussed important questions about the nature of human freedom and social and political practice.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><strong>Individualist Anarchism</strong></span><br /> <span class="font-size-4">Max Stirner had a major influence in developing Individualist Anarchism. He was a radical individualist. Stirner rejected the notion of society, instead advocating for a loose union of egoists (unique individuals). Stirner advocated independent, highly personal thinking and wishing rather than thoughtless devotion to societies traditions, doctrines, political systems, or laws. Stirner held that the only limitation on the rights of the individual is that individual's power to obtain what he desires.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4" style="color:#000080;">Ethics is based on the strong will which attains its end even when the path to it is full of thorns. TPOF 13.11</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><strong>individualist anarchism:</strong> <span style="color:#008000;">a nonviolent form of anarchism that emphasizes the individual and their <strong>will over external determinants</strong> such as groups, society, traditions, and ideological systems.</span></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><strong>determinants:</strong> <span style="color:#008000;">something that determines you other than yourself</span></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3293862671?profile=original"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3293862671?profile=original" alt="3293862671?profile=original" /></a></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">If you have read Rudolf Steiner’s Philosophy Of Freedom you can already see the connections between it and Individualist Anarchism. In fact, Steiner advances it to a radical “inner” anarchism that rejects not only outer authority, but also any inner authority that would rule over the individual. The book describes many, if not all, the inner and outer determinants that compel our thinking and behavior. By becoming conscious of these external determinants they lose their power over us.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><strong>Anarchism in The Philosophy Of Freedom – Rejection of authority</strong></span><br /> <span class="font-size-4" style="color:#000080;">“Man's action is free when he obeys none but himself.” TPOF 10.6</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">rejects authority of family, state, social custom, church and God</span><br /> <span class="font-size-4">rejects authority of any group, political system, and ideology</span><br /> <span class="font-size-4">rejects authority of a powerful person, majority rule,</span><br /> <span class="font-size-4">rejects authority of divine revelation or the inner voice of conscience</span><br /> <span class="font-size-4">rejects authority of materialism, the physical processes of the brain</span><br /> <span class="font-size-4">rejects authority of a spiritual being, Divine Being and personal God</span><br /> <span class="font-size-4">rejects the authority of the characterological disposition, preconceptions,</span><br /> <span class="font-size-4">practical experience, implanted thoughts etc.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><strong>Individualism in the Philosophy Of Freedom</strong></span><br /> <span class="font-size-4">Individualism is central to The Philosophy Of Freedom.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4" style="color:#000080;">“The human individual is the fountain of all morality and the center of all life.” TPOF 9.12</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4" style="color:#993300;"><strong>Was Rudolf Steiner An Individualist Anarchist?<br /> </strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><strong>Individualist Anarchism in Europe</strong></span><br /> <span class="font-size-4">European individualist anarchism emphasized defiance of social conformity. This philosophy was found among artists, intellectuals and the well-read. It remained largely a bohemian lifestyle enamored of innovations in art, behavior, and clothing.</span></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3293861882?profile=original"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3293861882?profile=original" alt="3293861882?profile=original" /></a></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><strong>The Young Rudolf Steiner Enjoys Hanging Out With The Anarchist Crowd</strong></span><br /> <span class="font-size-4">Steiner edited the Magazine for Literature from 1897 to 1900 in Berlin. Biographer Gary Lachman writes; <span style="color:#000080;">"Steiner seems to have enjoyed hanging out with the bohemians; his acquaintances included poets, playwrights, novelists and political activists. In fact, his reputation among people considered to be on the fringes of respectable society caused academics to cancel their subscriptions to his magazine, and Steiner also earned the distinction of having a periodical banned in Czarist Russia because its editor was known to socialize with anarchists."</span> The Philosophy Of Freedom was also banned.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><strong>Rudolf Steiner Declares Himself An Individualist Anarchist</strong></span><br /> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3293862244?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3293862244?profile=original" width="208" alt="3293862244?profile=original" /></a><span class="font-size-4">John Henry Mackay was the author of a classic individualist anarchist text "The Anarchists" in 1891. Steiner corresponded with Mackay. In a letter written to Mackay in 1898 Steiner enthusiastically declared himself an individualist anarchist.</span><br /> <span class="font-size-4"><a href="http://philosophyoffreedom.com/individualist-anarchism">http://philosophyoffreedom.com/individualist-anarchism</a></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4" style="color:#000080;">Dear Herr Mackay!</span><br /> <span class="font-size-4" style="color:#000080;">“Four years ago, after the appearance of my Philosophy of Freedom, you expressed to me your agreement with my direction of ideas. I openly admit that this gave me deeply felt joy. For I have the conviction that we agree, with respect to our views, every bit as far as two natures fully independent of one another can agree.”</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4" style="color:#000080;">“If I were to say whether the term “individualist anarchist” is applicable to me, I would have to answer with an unconditional “Yes.”</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Rudolf Steiner shares Mackay’s individualist anarchistic views and was pleased that Mackay recognized The Philosophy of Freedom as an expression of this view.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><strong>Bible Of Anarchism</strong></span><br /> <span class="font-size-4">A long time student of The Philosophy Of Freedom went as far as declaring it the <span style="color:#000080;">“Bible Of Anarchism.”</span> He makes a good argument using quotes from chapter 10 entitled "Philosophy and Monism" and <span style="color:#000080;">“dares you to deny that this is pure anarchism through and through.”</span> <a href="http://www.uncletaz.com/steinerbomb.html">http://www.uncletaz.com/steinerbomb.html</a></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4" style="color:#993300;"><strong>Are You An Individualist Anarchist At Heart?<br /> </strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4" style="color:#993300;"><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/73980022?profile=original"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/73980022?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="400" alt="73980022?profile=RESIZE_480x480" /></a></strong></span></p>
<p>Reference<br /> John Henry Mackay letter to Rudolf Steiner<br /> <a href="http://philosophyoffreedom.com/individualist-anarchism">http://philosophyoffreedom.com/individualist-anarchism</a><br /> Brief Reflections on the Publication of the New Edition of The Philosophy of Freedom<br /> <a href="http://philosophyoffreedom.com/page/rudolf-steiner-reflections-on-the-publication-of-the-new-edition">http://philosophyoffreedom.com/page/rudolf-steiner-reflections-on-the-publication-of-the-new-edition</a></p>
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</table></div>#2 A Chapter Was Removed From The Philosophy Of Freedom In 1918https://philosophyoffreedom.com/profiles/blog/a-chapter-was-removed-from-the-philosophy-of-freedom-in-19182017-11-13T12:30:00.000Z2017-11-13T12:30:00.000ZTom Lasthttps://philosophyoffreedom.com/members/00yzc179qgdki<div><table border="0" cellpadding="20" style="width: 750px;">
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<p><strong>Contents of the original 1894 Philosophy Of Freedom<br /></strong> <span style="background-color: transparent;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3293861214?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="600" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3293861214?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="600" class="align-full" /></a>In the original 1894 edition of The Philosophy Of Freedom the first chapter was entitled “The Goal Of knowledge.” The opening sentences began with an undeniable description of individualist anarchism; rejecting authority and supporting individuality. The first two paragraphs written in The Philosophy Of Freedom may be the most inspiring words ever written about individualist anarchism.</span></p>
<p><a href="http://philosophyoffreedom.com/hoernle-translation-1916#c1">http://philosophyoffreedom.com/hoernle-translation-1916#c1</a></p>
<p><span style="color: #993300;">[1] I BELIEVE one of the fundamental characteristics of our age is that human interest centers in the cultus 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.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000080;">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.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000080;">[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.”</span></p>
<p>Then the chapter shifts from the individualist anarchist’s striving in life to an individualist anarchist’s pursuit of truth in the depths of human nature. He rejects the authority of outer truth and only embraces the inner truth that arises from within the individual.</p>
<p><span style="color: #000080;">[3] Truth, too, will be sought in our age only in the depths of human nature… Truth that comes to us from outside always bears the stamp of uncertainty. Each one of us is only convinced of truth when he recognizes it within his own heart.</span></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3293860577?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3293860577?profile=original" class="align-full" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #993300;"><strong>Anarchism Comes Under Attack And The Philosophy Of Freedom Is Revised</strong></span></p>
<p>Anarchist communists become violent and ruin the reputation of all anarchists. Steiner renounces the violence of anarchists, <span style="color: #000080;">“It belongs to the very first principles of individualist anarchism to battle against things of that kind.”</span> John Henry Mackay’s friends warn him that he is in danger. They urge him to make a statement against the “tactics of violence” so he is not thrown in with the revolutionary communists. As mentioned earlier Steiner’s magazine subscribers are canceling and they have begun to ban his articles because he socialized with anarchists. Mackay blames the press:</p>
<p><span style="color: #000080;">"To be sure, there is a dirty press (it strangely prefers to call itself the decent press), which continues to falsify ever anew even established facts that have become a matter of history. But any battle against it is not only pointless but degrading. It lies because it wants to lie."</span></p>
<p>A few years later Steiner stopped publishing his magazine and joined the Theosophical Society which was peaking in popularity at that time. Copies of The Philosophy Of Freedom became scarce. Eventually a second edition was published twenty-five years later in 1918, after being revised.</p>
<p>The new edition  of The Philosophy Of Freedom was revised to remove the most obvious references to individualist anarchism. The opening two paragraphs describing the life of an individualist anarchistic was completely removed. The whole first chapter which explains how he is approaching the topic of freedom (in an individualist anarchist kind of way) is placed at the back of the book as an appendix.</p>
<p><strong>Preface to the first edition, 1894; revised, 1918<br /></strong> Steiner adds a note to the revised edition to tell us why he removed the original first chapter and placed it at the back of the book as an appendix:</p>
<p><span style="color: #333399;"><span class="font-size-4">“In the following is reproduced, in all essentials, what stood as a sort of “introduction” in the first edition of this book. Since it shows the 'mood of thought' out of which I wrote this book twenty-five years ago, rather than having any direct bearing on its contents, I include it here as an appendix.</span>”</span></p>
<p>The Philosophy Of Freedom is a result of independent thinking so it does not adhere to any existing “ism” such as anarchism. But there is clearly a “mood” of individualist anarchism throughout the book that indicates how he is approaching the topic of freedom.</p>
<p><span style="color: #333399;" class="font-size-4">“I do not want to omit it altogether, because the opinion keeps cropping up that I need to suppress some of my earlier writings on account of my later ones on spiritual science. Only the very first opening sentences of this argument (found in the first edition) have been altogether omitted here, because today they seem to me quite irrelevant."</span></p>
<p>The opening sentences had become irrelevant because interest in anarchism had ended because it was discredited by violence. It had become dangerous to call yourself an anarchist. To be accused of associating with “anarchists” in Steiner’s time was like being accused of associating with “terrorists” today.</p>
<p>Despite the need for Steiner to walk away from individualist anarchism 100 years ago, times have changed again. According to research done this year, interest in individualistic practises and values has been increasing the past several decades throughout the world. The Philosophy Of Freedom may have been ahead of its time. It has patiently waited for individualists who are striving toward freedom by shaking <span style="color: #000080;">"off every kind of authority"</span> and asserting <span style="color: #000080;">"the right to express what is unique in him."</span></p>
<p>Reference<br />
John Henry Mackay letter to Rudolf Steiner<br />
<a href="http://philosophyoffreedom.com/individualist-anarchism">http://philosophyoffreedom.com/individualist-anarchism</a><br />
Brief Reflections on the Publication of the New Edition of The Philosophy of Freedom<br />
<a href="http://philosophyoffreedom.com/page/rudolf-steiner-reflections-on-the-publication-of-the-new-edition">http://philosophyoffreedom.com/page/rudolf-steiner-reflections-on-the-publication-of-the-new-edition</a></p>
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