Esotericism against Capitalism?
Approaching Religion April 30, 2024 DOI: 10.30664/ar.137451 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Historical analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Education |
| Key points | Argues that Rudolf Steiner's Waldorf pedagogy was conceived as a spiritual learning site meant to resist post-World War I capitalism, materialism, and corporatism in Germany, and that while Steiner was connected to communist, socialist, and Lebensreform movements, his distinctive incorporation of esotericism differentiated his educational approach from other anti-capitalist and anti-materialist reform schools. |
Abstract
This article seeks a better understanding of how Rudolf Steiner envisioned his reform pedagogy as a site of spiritual learning (for example through art, seasonal festivals, ritual drama, etc.), but also as a specific site intended to resist the encroaching influence of capitalism, materialism, and corporatism spreading in Germany following the First World War. Steiner’s ideas about education did not emerge in a vacuum. He was inspired by and connected with other forms of communist, socialist, and Lebensreform movements in his time. Yet Steiner more actively embraced and incorporated esotericism into his pedagogical project. How did his approach differ from the other anti-capitalist and anti-materialist-inspired schools that were spreading, and what role did esotericism play in terms of developing Waldorf students? This article explores these questions and contributes to a recontextualization of both Steiner and esotericism taking place in the academy.