BLOG: Lucid I - random thoughts from a Canadian
TITLE: Philosophy of Freedom
Paula, Toronto, Canada
I am in a book group that meets weekly in Dundas, Ontario. Our group decided we would study Rudolf Steiner’s challenging and insightful book, Philosophy of Freedom.
We had Paul Hodkins join us for an evening to give us an outline of how to study this book. I believe he taught a series workshop at the Rudolf Steiner Centre in Thornhill, which a couple of my group members attended.
The method he taught us was to summarize each paragraph. Our group found this method of studying this book very demanding and yet very worthwhile. I feel that it disciplines your thinking in a way that is much needed in today’s world. One member had remarked she found it useful to read and study this book in a group as she may not have the discipline to do this if she were alone.
Our group managed to summarize the first 7 chapters of this book. For the reminder of the book, we decided to read it and have discussions. One of the members and I continued to summarize the paragraphs on our own.
A few months ago I had decided that I would share the work that my group and I have done. I decided to start recording myself and sharing this information on You Tube. I encourage everyone who wants to deepen their understanding of this wonderful book by visiting my You Tube page at http://www.youtube.com/user/1funnyanthropop.
BLOG: Breaking Open The Head Discussion Group
TITLE: A Long Correction About Steiner’s Anthroposophy
Excerpts from veilledruide's comments
Anthroposophy can never be compared to shamanism because Steiner regarded shamanism as "atavistic clairvoyance". Steiner was regularly telling his audience to distinguish between atavistic clairvoyance and the new experience of the supersensible, which is based on freedom and clear day-light knowledge.
Trance, mediumship, visions, second sight, remote viewing, hypnosis are atavistic symptoms and the clairvoyant knowledge these can give is tainted by a definitely regressive state of mind. To say that Steiner took his knowledge from a hypnologic state of mind is simply a revelation of the ignorance of the speaker about Steiner's way of spiritual science! Sorry if it sounds harsh: it is the plain truth.
In 1902, eight years after “The Philosophy of Freedom” and "Truth and Science" a "Master" told him he should take a look at Theosophy and Haeckel's biology. He did not like theosophy at first. He tried to correct the huge mistakes of Blavatsky in Occult Science - an outline. He was thrown out of the Theosophical Society by Annie Besant and others.
BLOG: Haeanna's Blog
TITLE: “The Philosophy of Freedom”
By haeanna
I am currently in the process of watching“The philosophy of freedom". The basis for a modern world conception. Rudolph Steiner.” On youtube. Some angel has put Steiner´s core beliefs and reasonings onto the web for viewing. It is broken up into parts and…. wait, why am I describing this?
Follow this link, it is to the Rudolph Steiner Archive (a website that I have just discovered, but will soon familiarize myself with), the philosophy of freedom section:
It is saying everything that I believe, and it is based on logic and research. And all I had to do was go on youtube, sit back and take it in! I am adding the link to the first of these videos, which is about individuality and genus.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjjU9OcANgY
Insofar, I have been talking about Steiner and philosophy as a steiner student and a philosopher. It has all come from my own mind, and a little from my education and upbringing. Therefore, actually reading Steiner´s work is like being told that everything I am saying is right and the research has already been done to back it up. You cannot imagine how good this feels.
Submitted by Tmasthenes on Fri, 04/16/2010 - 12:35pm.
Urgent Appeal to Tom Last and all PoFfers!
Destiny calls upon you now to muster the forces of clear thinking from the study of PoF to develop a vaccine strong enough to stop the spread of the Judith von Halle flu now sweeping through Berlin and infecting Dornach as well. If you do not act in time, then the spectre of atavistic Catholic superstition will entirely permeate the Goetheanum and turn all members of the Anthroposophical Society into stark raving Jesuits.
Please heed this call from Germany which I have translated into English below. Just how you can bottle sense-free thinking into a vaccine is beyond me, but I'm sure you'll think of some way.
Tom Mellett
Van Nuys, CA
Breaking News Bulletin from the Uncle Willy Lochmann Publishing Emporium
GERMAN ANTHROPOSOPHIST
CALLS FOR VACCINATION
AGAINST JUDITH VON HALLE FLU!!
RECOMMENDS PROVEN REMEDY OF
CLEAR-THINKING TO PREVENT
WORLD-WIDE EPIDEMIC!
From: Lochmann-Verlag <willy.lochmann@gmail.com>
Subject: Hübscher Leserbrief (Cute Reader Comment)
In issue #6/7 (April-May 2010) the following reader comment is published:
Various Influenzas
To: Peter Tradowsky, writing “Seven Theses of Judith von Halle.” in issue #5 (March 2010)
We’ve had the Bird Flu and the Swine Flu and now we have the “Von Halle Flu,” which had infected thousands. Just what kind of spiritual beings have inspired this Group-Influenza? It would be advisable to get yourselves vaccinated so that it will not turn into an epidemic. A proven remedy is clear thinking.
Submitted by Tom Last on Fri, 04/16/2010 - 9:13am.
I am working on 3 things that I think need to be done; the new translation, searching the internet for a story each day for the front page about POF, and producing a new video series on POF. The videos would consist of a summary and then chapter videos.
Below is a popular video on the Libertarian view. I like the style and clear objective presentation. It is a flash video with lots of movement. I can't do flash so I am trying to find something that I can do. I would like to start with a short summary of POF. The 10 minute video series would include a summary and 14 chapter videos. A good job on the summary video could gather 1 million views if it is recommended by others.
Humanmindmania Encyclopedia
Philosophy of Freedom posted by Dr.Pouse Poulose
The Philosophy of Freedom, the fundamental philosophical work of the philosopher and esotericist Rudolf Steiner, focuses on the concept of free will. Originally published in 1893 in German as Die Philosophie der Freiheit, the work has appeared under a number of English titles, including The Philosophy of Spiritual Activity and Intuitive Thinking as a Spiritual Path.
Steiner initially divides the problem of free will into freedom of thought and freedom of action. He argues that inner freedom is achieved when we bridge the gap between our perception, which reflect the outer appearance of the world, and our cognition, which gives us access to the inner structure of the world; and that outer freedom arises when we bridge the gap between our ideals and the constraints of external reality, letting our deeds be inspired by what he terms moral imagination. Steiner considers inner and outer freedom as integral to one another, and that true freedom is only achieved when they are united. more...
Seven video discussion about thinking led by Yasuhiko Genku Kimura based on "The Philosophy of Freedom" by Rudolf Steiner at Sao Paulo, Brazil Dec. 4th, 2009. Mr. Kimura has spent almost thirty years studying both advanced Western scientific thought and inner-directed Eastern philosophies with his formal education centering on Buddhist philosophy. Rest of discussion inside this page. His website: www.via-visioninaction.org
Submitted by Tom Last on Wed, 04/14/2010 - 10:27am.
A random web search found this on the blog of Curtis Chappell. He posted a video to his blog that was produced here.
Can You Measure a Specific Thought?
Rudolph Steiner Philosophy of Freedom Video Proves It
As you might know, I’m about to publish a book, Reading Between the Lines, The Hidden Power of Language, which focuses on how to use thought and intention to affect your experience of life.
I recently asked an academic scientist, who is also writing a book, to review one of my chapters. He came back with some challenging but naive remarks.
I paraphrase, but examples are, ‘Noetic science isn’t a credible source to reference’ and ‘you cannot measure an individual thought’. I suggested he read The Intention Experiment, by Lynne McTaggert. But I’ve been doing further research…;)
Despite my own beliefs, I’m not here to change your mind (or his). You are entitled to believe whatever you believe…but I’m entitled to my own opinion, and science supports me…
Check out this video which presents a discussion by Rudolph Steiner, and his concept of the “Philosophy of Freedom”, or ('free will’) using a montage of cool short videos and images. It’s quite well done, but it is not absolute truth. My research continues….
The highlight does show scientists measuring an individual thought!
Submitted by Tom Last on Sat, 04/03/2010 - 4:18pm.
Inside is the first draft of the new chapter 3 translation in a textbook layout from the study course. Two difficulties in publishing the new translation of the Philosophy of Freedom in a textbook layout is the cost of printing and the inability to make revisions. The new digital delivery through IPad web browsing and other products to be released will allow revisions and no printing cost so the book will continue to improve and be instantly available to everyone.
The new IPad 1/2 inch thick tablet and the other brand tablets on the way should be a boom to website reading as now you can read the web as comfortably as you can read a book. That should be a boost to this website and bringing The Philosophy of Freedom to more people and likely be the beginning of the end of the hard copy book or even the book itself as we know it.
I read this article by Norman on the Counterpunch website, which is about his new book on the new Israeli Holocaust and/or Apartheid against the Palestinians in Gaza. http://www.counterpunch.org/finkelstein03032010.html
"This Time We Went Too Far" Truth and Consequences in the Gaza Invasion
It’s amazing to watch the recent transformation of public opinion turning bitterly against the Israelis and whether you call it karma, or the more Biblical “eye for eye; tooth for tooth” or simply go with game theory applied to social evolution --- the “tit for tat strategy,” it’s clear that the previously victimized Jews of the Nazi Holocaust have now --- the generation of their grandchildren 60 years later --- moved around the Great Mandala or Vicious Cycle of Abuse, where the previous victims morph into the perpetrators themselves.
Here is quite a telling page on Finkelstein’s site where he documents through side-by-side photos of the Nazis then --- and the Israelis now, putting up fences to keep the sub-humans under control. http://www.normanfinkelstein.com/deutschland-uber-alles/
THE GRANDCHILDREN OF HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS FROM WORLD WAR II ARE DOING TO THE PALESTINIANS EXACTLY WHAT WAS DONE TO THEM BY NAZI GERMANY…
Submitted by Tom Last on Mon, 03/08/2010 - 3:25pm.
New book out in German by Russian GA Bondarew called Die "Philosophie der Freiheit" von Rudolf Steiner als Grundlage der Logik des anschauenden Denkens . Purchase book here. The Philosophy of Freedom "by Rudolf Steiner as the basis of the logic of intuitive thinking English translation of above link.Russian review
Submitted by Tom Last on Sun, 03/07/2010 - 11:31am.
Here are some short title suggestions. A new title for Chapter 7 is an interesting challenge because the chapter examines what we consider to be real or not real.
New Title Suggestions
1. Conscious Human Action
2. The Desire For Scientific Knowledge
3. Thought As The Basis For Understanding The World
4. The World As Perception
5. Cognizing The World
6. Human Individuality
7. Are there Limits To Cognition?
Submitted by Tom Last on Sun, 02/28/2010 - 1:15pm.
This is a revised chapter 1 for the Study Course for reading on the web. It is a different project from the hard copy version, but the extra thought will improve both. The only 1918 Steiner revision kept was in the opening sentence, adding 'natural laws'. It was edited to simpler American English and for the web reader with more paragraph breaks.
I am finding out that the 1918 revisions are turning out to have been long time stumbling blocks to reading comprehension. This must be because you usually need a belief in theosophy for them to make sense, like adding 'spiritual' freedom to the opening sentence. What is that supposed to be? I will do chapter 2 next.
I am in a book group that meets weekly in Dundas, Ontario. Our group decided we would study Rudolf Steiner’s challenging and insightful book, Philosophy of Freedom.
Anthroposophy can never be compared to shamanism because Steiner regarded shamanism as "atavistic clairvoyance". Steiner was regularly telling his audience to distinguish between atavistic clairvoyance and the new experience of the supersensible, which is based on freedom and clear day-light knowledge. 
BLOG: Haeanna's Blog
Urgent Appeal to Tom Last and all PoFfers!
The Philosophy of Freedom, the fundamental philosophical work of the philosopher and esotericist Rudolf Steiner, focuses on the concept of free will. Originally published in 1893 in German as Die Philosophie der Freiheit, the work has appeared under a number of English titles, including The Philosophy of Spiritual Activity and Intuitive Thinking as a Spiritual Path.
