What is a Free Deed?
Rudolf Steiner from “Truth and Knowledge”, Chapter 8

What does the possession of knowledge and science mean for us?
The innermost core of the world comes to expression in our knowledge.
The harmony of laws ruling throughout the universe shines forth in human cognition.
It is part of man's task, to bring into the sphere of apparent reality the fundamental laws of the universe.

Our moral ideals determine the whole character of our conduct in life.
Our moral ideals are ideas which we have of our task in life-- the ideas we form of what we should bring about through our deeds.
To recognize the law in the sphere of human conduct is simply a special instance of cognition.
To know oneself to be at one with one's deeds means to possess, as knowledge, the moral concepts and ideals that correspond to the deeds.
If we recognize these laws, then our deeds are also our own creations.

If the 'I' has really penetrated its deed with full insight, in conformity with its nature, then it also feels itself to be master.
To carry out a deed under the influence of a law external to the person who brings the deed to realization, is a deed done in 'unfreedom'.
To carry out a deed ruled by a law that lies within the one who brings it about, is a deed done in 'freedom'.
To recognize the laws of one's deeds, means to become conscious of one's own freedom.

Often we do not possess knowledge of the laws governing our deeds. Such deeds form a part of our activity which is 'unfree'.
In contrast, there is that other part where we make ourselves completely at one with the laws. This is the 'free sphere'.
Only insofar as man is able to live in this sphere, can he be called moral.
To transform the 'unfree sphere' of our activity into one that has the character of the 'free sphere' is the task of every individual's development.
The most important problem of all human thinking is to understand man as a free personality, whose very foundation is himself.