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Man in the Light of Occultism, Theosophy, and Philosophy
Lecture 1 of 10
Rudolf Steiner, Christiania, Norway
June 2, 1912
My Dear Friends,
We have spoken together in earlier lecture cycles on many important subjects that arise in connection with the theosophical outlook on the world. On the present occasion we have chosen a subject that is among the very most important of all for theosophical life and thought: man himself. For every branch of human knowledge this is a subject of the first importance and value, and for theosophy unquestionably so. In theosophy there should really be a fresh feeling of what the Greek understood by the word “Anthropos.” If we would find a true modern rendering of the Greek word, we might say “one who looks up into the heights.” This is the definition of man which finds expression in the word “anthropos”: he who looks up into the heights to find the source and origin of his life. Such is man, according to the Greek. To recognize man as a being of this nature is the very raison d'être of theosophy. Theosophy wants to rise above the details of sense existence and of the outer activity of life, into the heights of spiritual experience where we are able to learn whence man has come and whither he is going. Man himself, rightly the object of study for every world outlook, must preeminently be so for theosophy.
We have spoken together in earlier lecture cycles on many important subjects that arise in connection with the theosophical outlook on the world. On the present occasion we have chosen a subject that is among the very most important of all for theosophical life and thought: man himself. For every branch of human knowledge this is a subject of the first importance and value, and for theosophy unquestionably so. In theosophy there should really be a fresh feeling of what the Greek understood by the word “Anthropos.” If we would find a true modern rendering of the Greek word, we might say “one who looks up into the heights.” This is the definition of man which finds expression in the word “anthropos”: he who looks up into the heights to find the source and origin of his life. Such is man, according to the Greek. To recognize man as a being of this nature is the very raison d'être of theosophy. Theosophy wants to rise above the details of sense existence and of the outer activity of life, into the heights of spiritual experience where we are able to learn whence man has come and whither he is going. Man himself, rightly the object of study for every world outlook, must preeminently be so for theosophy.
Continued: The Great Mystery
Source: The Rudolf Steiner Library June 2, 1912
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