freedom (14)

For centuries, the enigma of free will has captivated philosophers, scientists, and thinkers. Despite countless debates and discussions, a definitive understanding of human freedom remained elusive. However, a groundbreaking scientific discovery has now provided substantial evidence to validate Rudolf Steiner's profound insights into the nature of free will, potentially converting long-standing philosophical debates into tangible scientific understanding.

In 1894, Rudolf Steiner, in his seminal work "The Philosophy Of Freedom," introduced a revolutionary perspective on free will. Unlike traditional approaches that offered abstract definitions, Steiner focused on a specific region of the mind, a realm where he believed the seeds of free will could flourish. He posited that true freedom of will is accessible only within this particular mental domain stating, "In The Philosophy Of Freedom, I attempt to present a view of the human being that fully justifies the idea of freedom of the will provided one finds the region of the mind where free will can unfold itself" (Rudolf Steiner, 1918 preface to the revised Philosophy Of Freedom). His focus was not on abstract theorizing but on pinpointing a specific region of the mind where freedom originates.

Steiner argued that intuitive ideas, born from within this region, are the wellsprings of truth and inspiration. He emphasized that these insights are more than mere cognitive processes; they are the source of genuine creativity and freedom. This region of the mind is where one's thinking activity can continually provide creative answers to personal queries. "The book points to a region of the mind where the mind's activity supplies a living answer, always anew, to the questions whenever a person needs it," he explained in the 1918 preface to the revised Philosophy Of Freedom.

In a remarkable parallel to Steiner's century-old observations, brain imaging research has shed light on the brain's role in creative insights. The 2015 publication "The Eureka Factor" by two cognitive neuroscientists identified the right temporal lobe, just above the ear, as the epicenter of intuitive insights. This area, associated with conceptual knowledge, is where creative thoughts and ideas coalesce. This discovery aligns with Steiner's idea of 'conceptual intuitions' and 'moral intuitions' arising from the realm of concepts, shaping our understanding of the world and our place within it.

The research uncovered that these moments of insight are marked by surges of gamma brainwave energy, signifying heightened awareness and enhanced thinking. This intuitive impulse improved focus, increased intelligence, and boosts energy. This higher experience results in more tolerance and more compassion.

Steiner referred to these bursts of energy as the 'impulse of freedom,' a phenomenon he sought to establish on a scientific basis. "I wrote The Philosophy Of Freedom in order to give humanity a clear picture of the idea of freedom, of the impulse of freedom. To this end, it was necessary first of all to establish the impulse of freedom on a firm scientific basis," he reflected in 1918. The 'impulse of freedom' now finds empirical support in neuroscience. It is no longer merely an abstract idea but a tangible, measurable phenomenon, experienced as a moment of intuitive insight that can inspire and empower.

According to Steiner this impulse of freedom is not a single event but a two-step process. The normal psychological and physical influences on thinking must first withdraw to create a conducive environment for the emergence of new ideas. This makes freedom possible, allowing us to overcome the psychological and physical compulsions that typically control our thought and action. "The psychological and physical organization withdraws whenever the activity of thinking takes place. It suspends its own activity, it makes room. And the space that has been set free is occupied by thought," Steiner observed in Chapter 9 of the 1918 revised edition of The Philosophy Of Freedom.

The suspension of psychological and physical influences was explained by the neuroscientists. They discovered that preceding the gamma wave burst of intuitive insight there is an alpha wave burst that limits external sensory inputs and suspends cognitive activity. The alpha wave burst prepares the brain to receive the new insight by restricting external information and allowing space for the new thought to appear.

This groundbreaking research validates Steiner's vision and his efforts to empirically ground the idea of freedom. It suggests that the intuitive process, as described by Steiner, has a physical counterpart in the brain's activities. This bridges the gap between philosophical speculation and empirical evidence, paving the way for a deeper exploration of the human psyche and its capabilities. The emergence of a science of freedom heralds a new era in personal development and societal structure, laying the foundation for human evolution and social progress.

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The Weight Of Freedom

Tegan had it all—or so it seemed. A formidable force in the marketing world, her talent, good looks, and abilities opened doors. Her life was an enviable mix of boardroom triumphs, fascinating dates, and social events that made most Instagram feeds look dull. At 35, Tegan relished her freedom. She was unattached, unconstrained, and unstoppable. Tegan closed yet another high-stakes project successfully, earning a round of applause at the office. Tonight, she had a date with Alex, an artist, the latest in a string of charismatic men she enjoyed but never got serious with. "Why limit yourself when the world has so much to offer?" she often mused.

A couple of years back, Tegan decided she wanted children. Opting for a sperm donor and surrogate, she brought Emily and Jack into the world. To Tegan, they were another choice she was thrilled to have made, another aspect of a life she could curate as she pleased. Emily, now seven, and Jack, five, began to show signs of behavioral and emotional difficulties. Emily's teacher pulled Tegan aside one day, suggesting perhaps the children were having difficulty in a single-parent environment, compounded by her work commitments and social life.

Then, Mark happened. Unlike the others, Mark seemed serious, emotionally available, and interested in a long-term commitment. For the first time, Tegan hesitated, recognizing that Mark offered the possibility of stability, for both her and her children.

Sitting across from her sister Kate, who led a more traditional life with a husband and kids, Tegan felt uneasy. "What's wrong with wanting it all, Kate?" "Nothing," Kate sipped her tea, "unless 'having it all' leaves you with less than you need."

That night, as Tegan tucked Emily and Jack into bed, she looked into their innocent eyes and felt a pang of guilt. Was her freedom costing them a stable home environment? Was her strongest motive—her pursuit of freedom—disadvantaging her own children?

The following weekend, Tegan took Emily and Jack to the park. As they played, she found herself observing a nearby family: a mother and father laughing with their children. What if it was not just about having the ability and means to do what you want but also about facing the consequences of those choices, especially when they affected innocent lives?

Returning home, Tegan thought about her children and the lifetime they had ahead of them. Sitting alone in her elegantly furnished living room, the weight of her freedom suddenly felt like a burden, its ethical implications glaringly clear. A wave of realization washed over her: her desire to "have it all" had been her strongest drive, a compelling force that condemned her to servitude. That drive for freedom had cost her children a stable environment and may have cost her something just as precious—true freedom, the freedom to choose what's right even when it's hard, even when it comes at a personal cost.

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(70) Rudolf Steiner Videos Censored By Google/YouTube

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Below is a playlist of the restricted videos. Select video by clicking on "1/18" in upper right corner of player.

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Internet censorship has dramatically increased to suppress wrong-thought.
Google/Youtube is censoring at least 18 25 70 of Rudolf Steiner Philosophy Of Freedom videos. Included in the censored list is a video that only contains a reading of Rudolf Steiner ethical individualism quotes called "Rudolf Steiner Quotes – Ethical Individualism". The videos are censored by placing them in "restricted mode filtering", which limits views based on certain terms or ideas, including the age of the viewer.

AWSNA and some anthroposophists have been declaring Rudolf Steiner to be a racist. This has consequences. This can lead to Rudolf Steiner and anthroposophy to be censored off the internet.

How does Restricted Mode work?
The primary method for filtering content in Restricted Mode is an automatic system using algorithms.

YouTube also employs a team of reviewers to manually check some content which may need to be filtered out. In particular, they manually check videos which are ‘flagged’ as inappropriate by YouTube users and all videos which are submitted under the ‘Restricted Mode feedback’ form.

How to Turn Restricted Mode off.
1. Click your youtube profile picture
2. At bottom of list is Restricted mode
3. Click Restricted Mode on or off

List of CENSORED Rudolf Steiner Philosophy Of Freedom videos:

2020

Rudolf Steiner: Cultivating The Attitude Of An Ethical Individualist
https://youtu.be/AKs4vFXJio8

Activists Are Replacing Steiner Waldorf School Values With “Anti-Racist” Values
https://youtu.be/z-prIhlIVKE

Defending Steiner Waldorf Education From The Materialistic Worldview Of Anti-Racism
https://youtu.be/_ShQ-m4sdoU

P4 Rudolf Steiner: Winning The Culture War With A Science Of Freedom
https://youtu.be/0WbF4RHEpgc

P2 Rudolf Steiner: The Culture War Of Human Nature
https://youtu.be/DFyHbJr8BYw

2019

Jordan Peterson & Rudolf Steiner: What Kind Of Threat Are The Democratic Socialists of America?
https://youtu.be/Dn-lWNdcJ-8

Rudolf Steiner: Is Calling Someone A Racist Helpful?
https://youtu.be/jI-634026bk

Jordan Peterson / Rudolf Steiner: Four Ways Ordinary People Can Produce A Totalitarian Society
https://youtu.be/iEj5Im840Y4

Rudolf Steiner Quotes – Ethical Individualism
https://youtu.be/Hwnb1L-C4Do

Jordan Peterson & Rudolf Steiner: True Speech Guides Free Speech
https://youtu.be/OaySOfXOU3Y

2018

Apple CEO Tim Cook Confirms - George Orwell's 1984 Is Here
https://youtu.be/EmykKbvJIvQ

Identity Politics, Empathy, and Reason
https://youtu.be/D722Dn5PByM

0.7 Practicing Pure Thinking
https://youtu.be/9RUPbXYsTd8

2017

0.0 Was Rudolf Steiner An Anarchist?
https://youtu.be/E9vn_CRHIDI

Internet Censorship Of Alternative Medicine And Spiritual Science
https://youtu.be/86aePYEAcc0

Israel Boycott: The American Spirit, The Human Spirit, Is Under Attack
https://youtu.be/vpPk1q7acuM

Israel Iran And Moral Consistency
https://youtu.be/KR7byR3iLcY

Will New Justice Neil Gorsuch Interpret A Dead Constitution?
https://youtu.be/IetXGovj0ls

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The Social Justice Movement's Threat To Human Freedom

Why do the Leftists Hate Jordan Peterson?

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Rudolf Steiner: Peace Based On Freedom, Not Social Justice
"Freedom is the only word which has a ring of immediate truth today… If, instead of such slogans as peace founded on justice, or peace imposed by force, people would only speak of peace based on freedom, then this word would echo round the world and kindle in the hearts of all a sense of security" 1918 Rudolf Steiner 

Joining The Epic Battle
Jordan Peterson's audience is rapidly expanding and coming together for an epic battle against the inner and outer forces that oppose the evolutionary unfoldment of human freedom. The individual battle is for each one to take responsibility for one's life, live ethically, and express one's inner truth. The social and political battle is with the Social Justice Movement and its pathological belief system of postmodern neo-marxism.

The Democratic Socialists are strong advocates for the Social Justice Movement. What's wrong with Democratic Socialism?

Whats wrong with Equity, Diversity & Inclusivity? It sounds good. JBP: Make no mistake. The real purpose of Diversity, Inclusivity and Equity is an all-out war on even the concept of excellence.

The Ideology of the Social Justice Movement is Political Correctness which is rooted in a mix of Postmodernism and Neo-Marxism. What is wrong with this Ideology?

5:59 The central claim of Postmodernism is that there is an infinite number of ways to explain even a finite set of phenomena.
11.56 The central claim of Neo-Marxism is that the best way to view the world is through the lens of the oppressor and the oppressed.
15:14 What joins Postmodernism and Neo-Marxism together is not compassion, but rather resentment and the demand for power.

For a longer philosophical discussion about the History and Diagnosis of Postmodernist Marxism that sounds like it is right out of The Philosophy Of Freedom watch here.

How The Social Justice Movement Uses Political Correctness To Destroy Western Civilization To Make Way For Socialism.

The Social Justice Movement has infiltrated our universities and is spreading into politics to divide us into identity groups. Identity politics is the new form of Marxist oppressor / oppressed doctrine that opposes free individuality and can only lead us, Peterson warns, toward a war of all against all.

In The Universities Post-Modernism Is Undermining Western Civilization

The Social Justice Movement dominates university liberal arts. Now it is beginning to infiltrate lower grade education.

WALDORF SCHOOL ALERT: The Social Justice Movement has infiltrated the WALDORF SCHOOLS with its emphasis on group indentity according to race, gender and sexuality in opposition to Steiner's vision of free individuality. "The Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA) annual summer conference was on looking at Waldorf education through the lens of social justice." Communist / Socialist equal distribution was advocated at AWSNA Conference: "social, monetary and land resources and rights need to be shared equitably." Read about conference here. PDF

Is The Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA) Promoting Socialism? Read more...

2445847716?profile=RESIZE_710xThis classroom picture is an adaptation.

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Global Footprint
Since the dawn of civilization, the planet replenished its resources faster than humans consumed them. Starting around 1970 that changed, we began to take more from the planet each year than it could restore. Since then, the gap between our rate of consumption and the planet's rate of regeneration has widened.

Its only mid-August but we have already used an entire year’s worth of the Earth’s natural resources according to the Global Footprint Network. For the rest of the year we will consume more than the Earth can replenish. This natural resource debt is not sustainable, how can we change?

Individual versus collective action
There is a continuing debate within the environmental movement about the relative merits of individual versus collective action. We are autonomous individuals as well as members of a local and global collective. I thought I would compare various possibilities of collective and individual action.

To act we need an “idea” of what to do and a “desire” to do it.

1. Collective idea and collective desire
Example: A democratic collective (State) agrees on an idea (environmental law) and the collective (citizens) desire to obey to avoid penalties (fines, jail).
Result: The planet is saved but individual freedom is lost due to threat of force.

2. Collective idea and individual desire
Example: A collective (NGO) agrees on an idea (recycling) and individuals who desire to act do so on a voluntary basis.
Result: Individual freedom is saved but the planet is lost due to lack of participation.

3. Individual idea and collective desire
Example: Individual eco-friendly inventions and marketing (solar powered toothbrush) and the collective desires it because of mass marketing.
Result: The planet is saved but individual freedom is lost due to mind control.

4. Individual idea and individual desire
Example: Individual accepts eco-friendly ideas that she desires to act upon. Taking the global and her individual situation into consideration the necessary changes are made.
Result: Individual freedom empowers diverse individual action and the planet is saved.

Mature free individuals
To meet the challenges of our time will take fully functioning mature individuals we are capable of unbiased scientific understanding of life situations (free thinking) and have a desire to live a life that expresses their highest ideals (free action). Nothing can stop you if you think universally and act individually.

Impossible dream?
Is their really any other solution than the need for human development? Is this an impossible dream? Not if we start with ourselves. The global footprint is the total of individual footprints.

Ethical individualism
Rudolf Steiner's Philosophy Of Freedom presents a way of life called Ethical Individualism. It is about being inspired by your ideals, setting real goals, and realizing them without doing harm.

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Principles Of Individual Life

This short video is based on the first paragraph in Rudolf Steiner's Philosophy Of Freedom. It describes the early drive toward freedom as it expresses itself in the forming of a unique individuality.

SCRIPT
In order to survive the animal is driven by natural instincts for food, water, and shelter. Social learning gives an evolutionary advantage to those who join and conform to the group.
Yet, if society is to continue evolving it needs something more than social conformity, it needs the innovation and creativity of free individuals.
The social order is only formed so it can react in favor of the individual, but society cannot produce even one free individual.
Only the individual himself can complete the final stage of evolution and realize freedom.
The pursuit of individuality is the modern struggle for survival.
To be true to yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something less, requires great effort.

There is a natural conflict between individualism and authority.
When challenged by authority, typically individualism cannot be sustained without paying a harsh price.

No matter what anyone else asserts, an individualist will think for himself.
Nothing is accepted as valid until he fits it into his own context of knowledge.
Knowing that human perfection cannot be found by following in the footsteps of another, the individualist finds his own way in the difficult ascent to freedom.
Why adoringly serve leaders who will turn out to be just as weak as yourself?

No ideals will be forced upon him.
He will select his own ideals and strive for their realization, which is his highest pleasure.

We no longer believe that there is a norm of human life to which we must all strive to conform.
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 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 which, 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 of them asserts his right to express what is unique in him.
The structure of a language can affect how we conceptualize the world, our world-view, so there are writers who do not conform to the standard selection of words and arrangement that grammar demands.

We do not want to be dependent in any respect, and where dependence must be, we tolerate it only on condition that it coincides with a vital interest of our individuality.
Individuality is one of the fundamental characteristics of our age.
There is no better expression of this phenomena than striving towards freedom with the greatest intensity.

THE PHILOSOPHY OF FREEDOM

0. THE GOAL OF KNOWLEDGE (Preface)

0.0 Impulse Of Freedom
[1] I BELIEVE I am indicating correctly one of the fundamental characteristics of our age when I say that, at the present day, all human interests tend to center in the culture of human 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 which hinders the individual in the full development of his powers is thrust aside. The saying “Each one of us must choose his hero in whose footsteps he toils up to Olympus” no longer holds 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 that 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 of them asserts their right to express, in the creations of their art, what is unique in them. There are dramatists who write in dialect rather than conform to the standard diction which grammar demands.

[2] No better expression for these phenomena can be found than this, that 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 that it coincides with a vital interest of our individuality.

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Here are names for the kinds of thinking discussed in the first 7 chapters in Rudolf Steiner's Philosophy Of Freedom. With every shift in the level of consciousness, what we call thinking undergoes a change. In chapter 1 a rational debate occurs about whether we are free or not. In chapter 7 various theories of cognition are discussed, then Monism is show to remove all the limitations of cognition making wholistic thinking possible.  

Chapter 1 Conscious Human Action
RATIONAL THINKING Level of consciousness - will
Rational debate is a discussion about what we should believe. Both sides give arguments for some belief and defend that belief from objections.

Chapter 2 Desire For Knowledge
SPECULATIVE THINKING Level of consciousness - feel
Speculative thinking expresses human curiosity about the world. It transcends experience, but the chapters one-sided views lack experience of the world or the inner connection.

Chapter 3 Thinking in Understanding The World
REFLECTIVE THINKING -Level of consciousness - thought
Reflective thinking is reflection on thinking itself, on the mind and its activities. It is based on contemplation and introspection.

Chapter 4 The World As Perception
REACTIVE THINKING Level of consciousness - perception
Thinking immediately reacts to our observation by adding a preconception, and we consider the object and the preconception as belonging together forming our world of first appearance.

Chapter 5 Knowing The World
CRITICAL THINKING Level of consciousness - concept
We refute our initial impression of the world with critical thinking to discover the concept that corresponds to our perception.

Chapter 6 Individuality
INDEPENDENT THINKING Level of consciousness - mental picture
Independent thinking individualizes the universal concept by forming mental pictures.

Chapter 7 Are There Limits To Cognition?
WHOLISTIC THINKING Level of consciousness - cognition
Wholistic thinking endeavors to remove the limits of cognition in order to integrate all the parts into a whole.

 

 

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How an action is born?

(Chapter Nine - The Idea of Freedom)

I'm preoccupied by the 3 concepts used by Rudolf Steiner to explain action:

1.Mobile (or driving force - permanent determining factor of the individual)

2.Motive (or the temporary determinant of will)

3.Characterological disposition

1. Those can be the driving force of an action: lusts or desires /feelings / representations/ concepts/ pure concepts.

One question about the driving force is why are they the permanent determining factor of the individual? Is it because one lives for a long period of time (sometimes maybe a lifetime) with the same desires/lusts, he has the same feelings in certain situations and he always reacts in the same way to them, and the measure of one's experience is limited so one can have just a limited amount of representations of "what to do" in different situations - so he does just those actions about which he has a representations?

2. Motives, says Rudolf Steiner, can be either representations or thoughts. A representation or a thought is a motive, only if it made a human being make an action, otherwise is just a candidate for a motive.

The example in the book is: the representation of going for a walk in the next half an hour. This is the candidate for being the motive of an action.

Now, the characterological disposition (c.d.) enters the scene. From what I read, I understood that the c.d. is a group of mental objects of different types: representations, concepts, mental pictures and feelings. (Representation being a individualized notion or a mental picture).

Ok.

So when the candidate for being a motive enters one's consciousness,  objects from one's c.d. come to validate or invalidate the candidate. 

In the example from the book those objects that come to validate the candidate are: one's idea about the utility of walking, the value of one's health and in the end the feeling generated in me by the representation of taking a walk in the next half of hour.

*One thing that I forgot to say about c.d. is that is more or less permanent.

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