Description
Book SynopsisRudolf Steiner is one of the most controversially judged educational reformers of the twentieth century. Although he received little recognition within his field, his educational thought has had a sustained and profound influence, not only in the development of the Waldorf Schools, but also in healing, socially therapeutic work, psychosomatic medicine, biological-dynamic agriculture, corporate organisation, fine arts, and architecture. Heiner Ullrich paints a concise and well-grounded portrait of the creator of the anthroposophic doctrine and Waldorf pedagogy. The text describes a wide arc from the intellectual biography of Rudolf Steiner, across his basic ideas on human development and education, to include discussion of the organisation, curriculum, methods and success of the Waldorf Schools.
Table of ContentsSeries Editor's Preface Foreword Prologue Part I: Intellectual Biography 1. Childhood and Youth Abroad: Scholastic Success and Intellectual Curiosity 2. Studies and Work as a Tutor in Vienna: The Basis for an Idealistic Overview 3. Archivist in Weimar: The Philosophy of Goethean Natural Science 4. Writer and Speaker in Berlin: The Free Spirit Converts to Theosophy 5. The Path to Geotheanum: The Elaboration of Anthroposophy as Science, Religion and Art 6. A New Era: The Wisdom Teacher's Move to Social Reform and Renewal of Education
Part II: Critical Exposition of Steiner's Philosophical and Educational Work 7. Goetheanism: The Epistomological Early Works 8. Anthroposophy: An Overview of Steiner's Basic Teachings 9. The Path of Cognition 10. Cosmology: Emanation of the Spirit and the World's Evolution 11. Anthropology: Man's Fourfold Architecture 12. Man's Functional Threefold Structure 13. Biography as Reincarnation and Destinal Chain ('Karma') 14. The Four Temperaments 15. Ages and the Development of the Human Person 16. The Concept of Education 17. The Free Waldorf School 18. A School in the Spirit of Anthorposophy? 19. The Waldorf Pre-School and the Anthroposophical Curative Education
Part III: The Reception and Influence of Steiner's Work 20. Anthroposophy as a Philosophy Without Boundaries 21. Anthroposophy as the Return of Mythical Thought Within Science 22. Anthroposophy - A Modernized Form of Gnosis 23. The Free Waldorf School: A School of Classic Progressive Education? 24. Between Prohibition and Continuation as Experimental State School: The Ambivalent Interest of NSDAP in Waldorf School Practice 25. The Importance of Waldorf Pedagogy for State Schools 26. Waldorf Schools: The Dubious Character of their Fundamentals and the Prerequisites of their Success 27. Learning from the Waldorf Schools - A New Dialogue and its Themes
Part IV: The Relevance of Steiner/Waldorf Schools Today 28. The Global Success of Rudolf Steiner's Pedagogy 29. How Successful are Waldorf Schools? - Evaluation Studies 30. What do Waldorf Pupils do after Graduation and how do they see their School in Retrospect? - Alumni Studies 31. How do Teachers and Pupils View the Waldorf School? - Attitude Studies 32. Class Teacher-Pupil Relationships at Waldorf Schools - A Current Research Contribution Epilogue Bibliography Glossary Index
