Towards Higher Worlds: Rudolf Steiner, Abraham Maslow and Transpersonal Psychology
Toni Brennan
Transpersonal Psychology Review 2007 DOI: 10.53841/bpstran.2007.11.1.120 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that Rudolf Steiner's holistic philosophy, Anthroposophy, shares areas of convergence with Maslow's later views on human nature and spiritual growth. |
Abstract
This paper explores the work of the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner (1861–1925), founder of Anthroposophy (a human-centred path of spiritual knowledge), and its relevance to Transpersonal Psychology.Steiner’s holistic Weltanschauung is based on the insight that the cosmos lives, in nuce, in the individual, and that the individual has the potential to discover the spiritual dimension of life. This unifying principle – which animates the plurality of ‘practical’ applications of Steiner’s philosophy in the material world, such as in education, art and drama, architecture, medicine and agriculture – also points towards some areas of convergence between Steiner’s thought and Maslow’s later conceptualisation of human nature and spiritual growth.