"Anthroposophy" is a research method which seeks to address the essential questions concerning the human being and his or her interrelationship with the world, taking into account the material, psychic and spiritual dimensions. It is not a dogma but a method, a current of thought that has its roots in Naturphilosophie. It is inappropriate to speak of anthroposophy as a moral person, as if it had militant or programmatic opinions or intentions. It wants to encourage questioning, and as in any philosophy or anthropology, there will be disagreements inherent in the research.
The Anthroposophical Society, on the other hand, is a legal entity. However, it too does not advocate any ideology, doctrine or dogma; it promotes exchange, study and individual reflection. The primary principle of the Anthroposophical Society is freedom of cultural and spiritual life. It cannot represent, guarantee or be responsible for the interpretations or actions of companies, associations, natural or legal persons who claim to refer to anthroposophy.
BELIEFS, PSEUDO-SCIENCE, DISTORTIONS...
It is usual, in these articles criticising anthroposophy, to read strange statements attributed to Steiner. As it stands, any sensible person would obviously not consider these shocking statements to be acceptable. However, the handling of these quotations is questionable: they are generally simplistic reformulations borrowed without examination from the 2018 article in Le Monde Diplomatique, of original statements that have been taken out of context and are simply misleading and caricatured.
Anthroposophy is said to be "against vaccines". This assertion radically contradicts the statements of the International Federation of Anthroposophic Medical Societies and the Medical Section at the Goetheanum, which declared on June 6, 2019, that anthroposophic medicine does not advocate an anti-vaccine stance and does not support movements which claim to be so. Let us repeat that, in general, anthroposophy is not a dogma and does not have to take a stand for or against anything, except for free will.
It is often claimed that Steiner, like his followers, relied on his intuition and "visions" rather than on science. This is not correct. Steiner, himself a scientist by training, was aware in his time of the one-sided development of science, the consequences of which we are now beginning to see, and he did not deny any of its achievements. On the contrary, his proposal was to broaden the scientific approach beyond materialism, to deepen and complete it by strengthening the moral and intuitive consciousness proper to the human being. The methodology of anthroposophy can be studied and practised by everyone. There are many books which explain its principles: Peter Heusser's book, "The Scientific Basis of Anthroposophy", is a recent reference on the subject.
With reference to its scientific foundations, anthroposophy is understood as a research approach. It does not propose a system of beliefs, but aims to study and understand the phenomena of the world, the history of ideas and spiritualities, and to stimulate new thoughts and ideas. The statements of Rudolf Steiner or other anthroposophists are not understood as a body of absolute truths to be adopted uncritically. Everyone working with anthroposophy is called upon to develop a critical mind and to multiply their sources other than those labelled anthroposophical. However, it is undeniable that some people adopt Steiner's (or other) ideas as elements of belief. This is a matter of freedom and does not in itself constitute a crime. The Anthroposophical Society, for its part, does not regard anthroposophy as a belief system, but as a means of study and research. In accordance with its statutes, the Anthroposophical Society always reaffirms its opposition to all forms of dogmatism and sectarianism.
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