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A READER'S JOURNAL, Volume 2:

The Philosophy of Freedom
by
Rudolf Steiner
Translated by Michael Wilson, ca. 1988
Published by Rudolf Steiner Press, U.K. in 1992
Study Material Created by Tom Last and Bobby Matherne ©2005


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The Philosophy Of Freedom
in the light of
Human And Cosmic Thought

The Philosophy of Freedom was written by Rudolf Steiner in 1894. It is No. 4 in his Collected Works (GA 4) This version is a revised translation by Michael Wilson of Steiner's groundbreaking philosophical work on the nature of freedom and thinking. The Philosophy of Freedom demonstrates the fact of freedom — the ability to think and act independently — as a possibility for modern consciousness. Read properly, it leads the reader to the experience of presence or living thinking -- new thinking -- by which all human activity may be renewed. This is a translation based on the 12th German edition.

Twenty years after The Philosophy of Freedom was published, Rudolf Steiner gave four lectures in Berlin during the Second General Meeting of the Anthroposophical Society in which he described the processes of human and cosmic thought in detail. One can easily imagine that these were the processes Steiner used while writing The Philosophy of Freedom. In the book-compilation of these lectures, Human and Cosmic Thought (HACT), he discusses how human and cosmic thought come together when one contemplates the cosmos from twelve equally justified World-Outlooks and the relationship of the World-Outlooks to the seven Moods, among other things. The diagram(1) on the cover of HACT (and found on page 50 of the text) shows the 12 Outlooks and 7 Moods. The page 50 HACT diagram is reproduced below.

A few words need to be said about the use of the terms outlooks, views, and moods. In Lecture 2 of HACT, Steiner uses view to mean the opinion that is a result of having a disposition of a particular outlook.

A critic of this outlook can then say: "You may reflect as much as you like on what the senses tell us and bring forward ever so ingenious reasons for your view — and ingenious reasons can be given — I take my stand on the point that nothing real exists except that which manifests itself through sense-impressions; this I accept as something material."
Later in the opening of Lecture 4 of HACT Steiner says:
We have been concerned with the possible varieties of world-outlooks, of world-outlook-moods and so on, which can find place in the human soul, and, since I can take only single points of view from this wide field, I should like to illustrate one of these points of view by means of a special example.
Steiner uses point-of-view to refer to a specific opinion. Outlook refers to the lasting disposition . In this Study Guide we are referring to the lasting disposition in the Tables (Table 1, 2, and 3), so we use Outlook. In order to differentiate the usage of Outlook between the 12 Outlook and 7 Moods which are also referred as Outlooks we will call the 7 Moods the 7 World-Outlook-Moods and the specific opinion one might have will be called a point of view. That seems like the best terminology to handle the complexities of outlooks, moods, and points of view.
Diagram from Page 50 of Human and Cosmic Thought by Rudolf Steiner
The Philosophy of Freedom should be looked upon as Rudolf Steiner's score for an orchestra. He presents us a symphony on the theme of freedom performed by an orchestra of twelve different instruments (Outlooks ), e.g., trumpets, violins, clarinets, flutes, tympany, trombones, etc., and each instrument will have seven different parts (moods), e.g. 1st Trumpet, 2nd Trumpet, etc. Some parts will be solos, others will be rhythmic accompaniment.

The HACT diagram above should not be looked upon as an outline, but rather as a conductor's layout for his orchestra. The symphony he is about to conduct will be performed by twelve different instruments (Outlooks ), e.g., trumpets, violins, clarinets, flutes, timpani, trombones, etc., and each instrument will have seven different parts (moods), e.g. 1st Trumpet, 2nd Trumpet, etc. Some parts will be solos, others will be rhythmic accompaniment. A trumpet may always be identified as a trumpet, but sometimes it will be muted, sometimes soft, sometimes blaring and brassy. The mixing together of these instruments according to the score of the conductor will produce the symphony for us. By consulting this diagram, the conductor can point to the section of the orchestra which has the notes to sound for a particular section of his symphony.

The idea of The Philosophy of Freedom as a musical score was suggested by Rita Stebbing when, in her translation (1988), she wrote in the Translator's Foreword,

The fact is also stressed that, to be understood, [this book](2) must not be read as one reads a cookbook, but rather as one reads a musical score, reproducing the content within oneself.

What Tom Last has done for us is to layout Steiner's orchestration of his score for The Philosophy of Freedom(3). The first seven chapters go down through the World Moods in the direction shown in the Table below, and the second seven chapters return upward through the World Moods. Inside of each Mood Steiner has each of his twelve instruments play its tune in turn, i.e., each of the twelve World Outlooks are presented in turn. Freedom is looked at, in other words, from each of the twelve aspects or perspectives that human and cosmic thought are capable of looking at it. Rightly understood, when one reads The Philosophy of Freedom, one has the symphony of the freedom playing through one's mind(4).

In fact, it has come to my attention while working through the implications of Tom Last's insights that the phrase "rightly understood," which Rudolf Steiner uses as one might use a laser pointer to direct special attention to an item on a slide, can be considered as his calling our attention to the score he has incorporated into this book. Rightly understood, "rightly understood" means to look at some issue from all the twelve Outlooks and seven moods! Anything less than that will provide a treatment for understanding which will be lacking in one or more essential aspects which can lead to misunderstanding and misapplication of what one otherwise thought one had understood. One cannot understand the simple phrase of Steiner's "rightly understood" unless one has fully assimilated the insights provided in The Philosophy of Freedom.

If the order of the Planets associated with the Moods in the first Table below is new or confusing to you, it would be well to first inspect the diagram below(5) from an ancient graphic which appeared on the cover of a Book Catalog I received from Oxford University Press back in 1997 around the time I was writing a review of Life Between Death & Rebirth. That review explains the rationale behind this geocentric order of planets — why the Sun is considered a planet, why Venus and Mercury seem transposed. Simply put, this geocentric arrangement represents the spiritual spheres that one travels through in the time between death and a new birth.

In each sphere we as excarnate human beings have different concerns. We begin with our earthly concerns and deal with them as we fully expand to the orbit of the Moon or the Moon Sphere. This is a period called kamaloka in which we relive backwards in time the events of our earthly existence. Then, to the extent we have lived a moral life on Earth, our consciousness is not dimmed and we are able to expand into the Mercury Sphere. As we subsequently expand into the Venus Sphere, our consciousness will not be dimmed if during our earthly existence we possessed a religious disposition. During the next phase, we expand into the Sol or Sun Sphere where it is our understanding of the uniform basis of all religions and the reality of Christ's Deed on Golgotha that keeps our consciousness from dimming. Next we have spiritual experiences as we pass through the Mars sphere. As we pass from Mars to Jupiter Steiner says,

[page 72, 73 of LBDR] The harmony of the spheres transforms itself . . . as orchestral music would change into choral music. It becomes increasingly tone, filled with meaning, expressive of its actual being. The harmony of the spheres receives content as we ascend into the sphere of Jupiter, and in the Saturn sphere full content is bestowed upon it as the expression of the Cosmic Word out of which everything has been created and which is found in the Gospel of John, "In the beginning was the Word." In this Word cosmic order and cosmic wisdon sound forth.


From cover of a recent Oxford University Press Catalog


14 Chapters and 7 Moods Table

Ch#
Title
Mood
Glyph
Planet
Ch#
Title
1 Conscious Human Action Occultism Glyph for Chapters 1 and 14 Moon: Mood of Occultism Moon 14 Individuality and Genus
2 Desire for Knowledge Transcendentalism Glyph for Chapters 2 and 13 Mercury: Mood of Transcendentalism Mercury 13 Value of Life
3 Thinking as Instrument of Knowledge Mysticism Glyph for Chapters 3 and 12 Venus: Mood of Mysticism Venus 12 Moral Imagination
4 World as Percept Empiricism Glyph for Chapters 4 and 11 Sun: Mood of Empiricism Sun 11 World & Life Purpose
5 Act of Knowing the World Voluntarism Glyph for Chapters 5 and 10  Mars: Mood of Voluntarism Mars 10 Freedom -- Philosophy and Monism
6 Human Individuality Logicism Glyph for Chapters 6 and 9     Jupiter:  Mood of Logicism Jupiter 9 Idea of Freedom
7 Limits to Cognition? Gnosis Glyph for Chapters 7 and 8  Saturn: Mood of Gnosis Saturn 8 Factors of Life


The second Table shows the Twelve World Outlooks and how each is related to a given astrological sign. Click either the glyph for the Astrological Sign or the World Outlook to begin reading about that Outlook in Chapter 1. At the end of that Outlook's section in each Chapter you will find a phrase underlined. Click the underlined words in order to read the same World Outlook in the next Chapter. Using this approach, one may easily read all the texts of a given Outlook from Chapter 1 through 14.

12 Outlooks Table

Number
Glyph
Astrological Sign
World Outlook
(Click to read Description of.)
1
Click to Read about World  Outlook  of Materialism:  Chapter 1 — Moon:Occultism, Cancer:MATERIALISM
Cancer
Materialism
2
Click to Read about World  Outlook  of Spiritism:  Chapter 1 — Moon:Occultism, Capricorn:SPIRITISM
Capricorn
Spiritism
3
Click to Read about World  Outlook  of Realism:  Chapter 1 — Moon:Occultism, Libra:REALISM
Libra
Realism
4
Click to Read about World  Outlook  of Idealism:  Chapter 1 — Moon:Occultism, Aries:IDEALISM
Aries
Idealism
5
Click to Read about World  Outlook  of Mathematism:  Chapter 1 — Moon:Occultism, Gemini:MATHEMATISM
Gemini
Mathematism
6
Click to Read about World  Outlook  of Rationalism:  Chapter 1 — Moon:Occultism, Taurus:RATIONALISM
Taurus
Rationalism
7
Click to Read about World  Outlook  of Psychism:  Chapter 1 — Moon:Occultism, Pisces:PSYCHISM
Pisces
Psychism
8
Click to Read about World  Outlook  of Pneumatism:  Chapter 1 — Moon:Occultism, Aquarius:PNEUMATISM
Aquarius
Pneumatism
9
Click to Read about World  Outlook  of Monadism:  Chapter 1 — Moon:Occultism, Sagittarius:MONADISM
Sagittarius
Monadism
10
Click to Read about World  Outlook  of Dynamism:  Chapter 1 — Moon:Occultism, Scorpio:DYNAMISM
Scorpio
Dynamism
11
Click to Read about World  Outlook  of Phenomenalism:  Chapter 1 — Moon:Occultism, Virgo:PHENOMENALISM
Virgo
Phenomenalism
12
Click to Read about World  Outlook  of Sensationalism:  Chapter 1 — Moon:Occultism, Leo:SENSATIONALISM
Leo
Sensationalism


This third Table reveals the internal structure of the Philosophy of Freedom in the light of Human and Cosmic Thought and provides a random access by Mood or Outlook or Chapter. The first column shows the Chapter Number, the second column the Mood of the Chapter, the remaining twelve columns show the glyphs of the astrological signs from Cancer through Leo. Each glyph represents the text of PoF associated with the related World Outlook of the sign. One may use this Table to read the text of PoF in any direction one wishes. One might, for example, wish to read the Gemini World Outlook of Mathematism texts for Mood of Empiricism. To do that one would go down the Gemini glyph Column to the two Rows where the Sun gylph appears for the Mood of Empiricism. The process of selection is facilitated by placing one's cursor over the box of a glyph and the name of the glyph/planet/mood will appear in a text box. (This works for most browsers, but not all.)

Mood/Outlook Access Table

1 Click to Read: Chapter 1  —   Conscious Human Action Moon:Mood of Occultism Click to Read: Chapter 1 — Moon:Occultism, Cancer:MATERIALISM Click to Read: Chapter 1 — Moon:Occultism, Capricorn:SPIRITISM Click to Read: Chapter 1 — Moon:Occultism, Libra:REALISM Click to Read: Chapter 1 — Moon:Occultism, Aries:IDEALISM Click to Read: Chapter 1 — Moon:Occultism, Gemini:MATHEMATISM Click to Read: Chapter 1 — Moon:Occultism, Taurus:RATIONALISM Click to Read: Chapter 1 — Moon:Occultism, Pisces:PSYCHISM Click to Read: Chapter 1 — Moon:Occultism, Aquarius:PNEUMATISM Click to Read: Chapter 1 — Moon:Occultism, Sagittarius:MONADISM Click to Read: Chapter 1 — Moon:Occultism, Scorpio:DYNAMISM Click to Read: Chapter 1 — Moon:Occultism, Virgo:PHENOMENALISM Click to Read: Chapter 1 — Moon:Occultism, Leo:SENSATIONALISM
2 Click to Read: Chapter 2  —   The Desire For Knowledge :Mood of Transcendentalism Click to Read: Chapter 2 — Mercury: Transcendentalism, Cancer:MATERIALISM Click to Read: Chapter 2 — Mercury: Transcendentalism, Capricorn:SPIRITISM Click to Read: Chapter 2 — Mercury: Transcendentalism, Libra:REALISM Click to Read: Chapter 2 — Mercury: Transcendentalism, Aries:IDEALISM Click to Read: Chapter 2 — Mercury: Transcendentalism, Gemini:MATHEMATISM Click to Read: Chapter 2 — Mercury: Transcendentalism, Taurus:RATIONALISM Click to Read: Chapter 2 — Mercury: Transcendentalism, Pisces:PSYCHISM Click to Read: Chapter 2 — Mercury: Transcendentalism, Aquarius:PNEUMATISM Click to Read: Chapter 2 — Mercury: Transcendentalism, Sagittarius:MONADISM Click to Read: Chapter 2 — Mercury: Transcendentalism, Scorpio:DYNAMISM Click to Read: Chapter 2 — Mercury: Transcendentalism, Virgo:PHENOMENALISM Click to Read: Chapter 2 — Mercury: Transcendentalism, Leo:SENSATIONALISM
3 Click to Read: Chapter 3  —   Thinking as the Instrument of Knowledge Venus:Mood of Mysticism Click to Read: Chapter 3 — Venus: Mysticism, Cancer:MATERIALISM Click to Read: Chapter 3 — Venus: Mysticism, Capricorn:SPIRITISM Click to Read: Chapter 3 — Venus: Mysticism, Libra:REALISM Click to Read: Chapter 3 — Venus: Mysticism, Aries:IDEALISM Click to Read: Chapter 3 — Venus: Mysticism, Gemini:MATHEMATISM Click to Read: Chapter 3 — Venus: Mysticism, Taurus:RATIONALISM Click to Read: Chapter 3 — Venus: Mysticism, Pisces:PSYCHISM Click to Read: Chapter 3 — Venus: Mysticism, Aquarius:PNEUMATISM Click to Read: Chapter 3 — Venus: Mysticism, Sagittarius:MONADISM Click to Read: Chapter 3 — Venus: Mysticism, Scorpio:DYNAMISM Click to Read: Chapter 3 — Venus: Mysticism, Virgo:PHENOMENALISM Click to Read: Chapter 3 — Venus: Mysticism, Leo:SENSATIONALISM
4 Click to Read: Chapter 4  —   The World as Percept Sun:Mood of Empiricism Click to Read: Chapter 4 — Sun: Empiricism     , Cancer:MATERIALISM Click to Read: Chapter 4 — Sun: Empiricism     , Capricorn:SPIRITISM Click to Read: Chapter 4 — Sun: Empiricism     , Libra:REALISM Click to Read: Chapter 4 — Sun: Empiricism     , Aries:IDEALISM Click to Read: Chapter 4 — Sun: Empiricism     , Gemini:MATHEMATISM Click to Read: Chapter 4 — Sun: Empiricism     , Taurus:RATIONALISM Click to Read: Chapter 4 — Sun: Empiricism     , Pisces:PSYCHISM Click to Read: Chapter 4 — Sun: Empiricism     , Aquarius:PNEUMATISM Click to Read: Chapter 4 — Sun: Empiricism     , Sagittarius:MONADISM Click to Read: Chapter 4 — Sun: Empiricism     , Scorpio:DYNAMISM Click to Read: Chapter 4 — Sun: Empiricism     , Virgo:PHENOMENALISM Click to Read: Chapter 4 — Sun: Empiricism     , Leo:SENSATIONALISM
5 Click to Read: Chapter 5  —   The Act of Knowing Mars:Mood of Voluntarism Click to Read: Chapter 5 — Mars: Voluntarism, Cancer:MATERIALISM Click to Read: Chapter 5 — Mars: Voluntarism, Capricorn:SPIRITISM Click to Read: Chapter 5 — Mars: Voluntarism, Libra:REALISM Click to Read: Chapter 5 — Mars: Voluntarism, Aries:IDEALISM Click to Read: Chapter 5 — Mars: Voluntarism, Gemini:MATHEMATISM Click to Read: Chapter 5 — Mars: Voluntarism, Taurus:RATIONALISM Click to Read: Chapter 5 — Mars: Voluntarism, Pisces:PSYCHISM Click to Read: Chapter 5 — Mars: Voluntarism, Aquarius:PNEUMATISM Click to Read: Chapter 5 — Mars: Voluntarism, Sagittarius:MONADISM Click to Read: Chapter 5 — Mars: Voluntarism, Scorpio:DYNAMISM Click to Read: Chapter 5 — Mars: Voluntarism, Virgo:PHENOMENALISM Click to Read: Chapter 5 — Mars: Voluntarism, Leo:SENSATIONALISM
6 Click to Read: Chapter 6  —   Human Individuality  Jupiter: Logicism Click to Read: Chapter 6 — Jupiter: Logicism, Cancer:MATERIALISM Click to Read: Chapter 6 — Jupiter: Logicism, Capricorn:SPIRITISM Click to Read: Chapter 6 — Jupiter: Logicism, Libra:REALISM Click to Read: Chapter 6 — Jupiter: Logicism, Aries:IDEALISM Click to Read: Chapter 6 — Jupiter: Logicism, Gemini:MATHEMATISM Click to Read: Chapter 6 — Jupiter: Logicism, Taurus:RATIONALISM Click to Read: Chapter 6 — Jupiter: Logicism, Pisces:PSYCHISM Click to Read: Chapter 6 — Jupiter: Logicism, Aquarius:PNEUMATISM Click to Read: Chapter 6 — Jupiter: Logicism, Sagittarius:MONADISM Click to Read: Chapter 6 — Jupiter: Logicism, Scorpio:DYNAMISM Click to Read: Chapter 6 — Jupiter: Logicism, Virgo:PHENOMENALISM Click to Read: Chapter 6 — Jupiter: Logicism, Leo:SENSATIONALISM
7 Click to Read: Chapter 7  —   Are there Limits to Cognition?  Saturn: Mood of Gnosis Click to Read: Chapter 7 — Saturn: Gnosis, Cancer:MATERIALISM Click to Read: Chapter 7 — Saturn: Gnosis, Capricorn:SPIRITISM Click to Read: Chapter 7 — Saturn: Gnosis, Libra:REALISM Click to Read: Chapter 7 — Saturn: Gnosis, Aries:IDEALISM Click to Read: Chapter 7 — Saturn: Gnosis, Gemini:MATHEMATISM Click to Read: Chapter 7 — Saturn: Gnosis, Taurus:RATIONALISM Click to Read: Chapter 7 — Saturn: Gnosis, Pisces:PSYCHISM Click to Read: Chapter 7 — Saturn: Gnosis, Aquarius:PNEUMATISM Click to Read: Chapter 7 — Saturn: Gnosis, Sagittarius:MONADISM Click to Read: Chapter 7 — Saturn: Gnosis, Scorpio:DYNAMISM Click to Read: Chapter 7 — Saturn: Gnosis, Virgo:PHENOMENALISM Click to Read: Chapter 7 — Saturn: Gnosis, Leo:SENSATIONALISM
8 Click to Read: Chapter 8  —   The Factors of Life  Saturn:Mood of Gnosis Click to Read: Chapter 8 — Saturn: Gnosis, Cancer:MATERIALISM Click to Read: Chapter 8 — Saturn: Gnosis, Capricorn:SPIRITISM Click to Read: Chapter 8 — Saturn: Gnosis, Libra:REALISM Click to Read: Chapter 8 — Saturn: Gnosis, Aries:IDEALISM Click to Read: Chapter 8 — Saturn: Gnosis, Gemini:MATHEMATISM Click to Read: Chapter 8 — Saturn: Gnosis, Taurus:RATIONALISM Click to Read: Chapter 8 — Saturn: Gnosis, Pisces:PSYCHISM Click to Read: Chapter 8 — Saturn: Gnosis, Aquarius:PNEUMATISM Click to Read: Chapter 8 — Saturn: Gnosis, Sagittarius:MONADISM Click to Read: Chapter 8 — Saturn: Gnosis, Scorpio:DYNAMISM Click to Read: Chapter 8 — Saturn: Gnosis, Virgo:PHENOMENALISM Click to Read: Chapter 8 — Saturn: Gnosis, Leo:SENSATIONALISM
9 Click to Read: Chapter 9 —   The Idea of Freedom  Jupiter:Mood of Logicism Click to Read: Chapter 9 — Jupiter: Logicism, Cancer:MATERIALISM Click to Read: Chapter 9 — Jupiter: Logicism, Capricorn:SPIRITISM Click to Read: Chapter 9 — Jupiter: Logicism, Libra:REALISM Click to Read: Chapter 9 — Jupiter: Logicism, Aries:IDEALISM Click to Read: Chapter 9 — Jupiter: Logicism, Gemini:MATHEMATISM Click to Read: Chapter 9 — Jupiter: Logicism, Taurus:RATIONALISM Click to Read: Chapter 9 — Jupiter: Logicism, Pisces:PSYCHISM Click to Read: Chapter 9 — Jupiter: Logicism, Aquarius:PNEUMATISM Click to Read: Chapter 9 — Jupiter: Logicism, Sagittarius:MONADISM Click to Read: Chapter 9 — Jupiter: Logicism, Scorpio:DYNAMISM Click to Read: Chapter 9 — Jupiter: Logicism, Virgo:PHENOMENALISM Click to Read: Chapter 9 — Jupiter: Logicism, Leo:SENSATIONALISM
10 Click to Read: Chapter 10  —   Freedom -- Philosophy and Monism  Mars:Mood of Voluntarism Click to Read: Chapter 10 — Mars: Voluntarism, Cancer:MATERIALISM Click to Read: Chapter 10 — Mars: Voluntarism, Capricorn:SPIRITISM Click to Read: Chapter 10 — Mars: Voluntarism, Libra:REALISM Click to Read: Chapter 10 — Mars: Voluntarism, Aries:IDEALISM Click to Read: Chapter 10 — Mars: Voluntarism, Gemini:MATHEMATISM Click to Read: Chapter 10 — Mars: Voluntarism, Taurus:RATIONALISM Click to Read: Chapter 10 — Mars: Voluntarism, Pisces:PSYCHISM Click to Read: Chapter 10 — Mars: Voluntarism, Aquarius:PNEUMATISM Click to Read: Chapter 10 — Mars: Voluntarism, Sagittarius:MONADISM Click to Read: Chapter 10 — Mars: Voluntarism, Scorpio:DYNAMISM Click to Read: Chapter 10 — Mars: Voluntarism, Virgo:PHENOMENALISM Click to Read: Chapter 10 — Mars: Voluntarism, Leo:SENSATIONALISM
11 Click to Read: Chapter 11 — World Purpose and Life Purpose (The Ordering of Man's Destiny)  Sun:Mood of Empiricism Click to Read: Chapter 11 — Sun: Empiricism, Cancer:MATERIALISM Click to Read: Chapter 11 — Sun: Empiricism, Capricorn:SPIRITISM Click to Read: Chapter 11 — Sun: Empiricism, Libra:REALISM Click to Read: Chapter 11 — Sun: Empiricism, Aries:IDEALISM Click to Read: Chapter 11 — Sun: Empiricism, Gemini:MATHEMATISM Click to Read: Chapter 11 — Sun: Empiricism, Taurus:RATIONALISM Click to Read: Chapter 11 — Sun: Empiricism, Pisces:PSYCHISM Click to Read: Chapter 11 — Sun: Empiricism, Aquarius:PNEUMATISM Click to Read: Chapter 11 — Sun: Empiricism, Sagittarius:MONADISM Click to Read: Chapter 11 — Sun: Empiricism, Scorpio:DYNAMISM Click to Read: Chapter 11 — Sun: Empiricism, Virgo:PHENOMENALISM Click to Read: Chapter 11 — Sun: Empiricism, Leo:SENSATIONALISM
12 Click to Read: Chapter 12  —   Moral Imagination
          (Darwinism and Morality)  Venus: Mood of Mysticism Click to Read: Chapter 12 — Venus: Mysticism, Cancer:MATERIALISM Click to Read: Chapter 12 — Venus: Mysticism, Capricorn:SPIRITISM Click to Read: Chapter 12 — Venus: Mysticism, Libra:REALISM Click to Read: Chapter 12 — Venus: Mysticism, Aries:IDEALISM Click to Read: Chapter 12 — Venus: Mysticism, Gemini:MATHEMATISM Click to Read: Chapter 12 — Venus: Mysticism, Taurus:RATIONALISM Click to Read: Chapter 12 — Venus: Mysticism, Pisces:PSYCHISM Click to Read: Chapter 12 — Venus: Mysticism, Aquarius:PNEUMATISM Click to Read: Chapter 12 — Venus: Mysticism, Sagittarius:MONADISM Click to Read: Chapter 12 — Venus: Mysticism, Scorpio:DYNAMISM Click to Read: Chapter 12 — Venus: Mysticism, Virgo:PHENOMENALISM Click to Read: Chapter 12 — Venus: Mysticism, Leo:SENSATIONALISM
13 Click to Read: Chapter 13  —  Mercury: Mood of Transcendentalism Click to Read: Chapter 13 — Mercury: Transcendentalism, Cancer:MATERIALISM Click to Read: Chapter 13 — Mercury: Transcendentalism, Capricorn:SPIRITISM Click to Read: Chapter 13 — Mercury: Transcendentalism, Libra:REALISM Click to Read: Chapter 13 — Mercury: Transcendentalism, Aries:IDEALISM Click to Read: Chapter 13 — Mercury: Transcendentalism, Gemini:MATHEMATISM Click to Read: Chapter 13 — Mercury: Transcendentalism, Taurus:RATIONALISM Click to Read: Chapter 13 — Mercury: Transcendentalism, Pisces:PSYCHISM Click to Read: Chapter 13 — Mercury: Transcendentalism, Aquarius:PNEUMATISM Click to Read: Chapter 13 — Mercury: Transcendentalism, Sagittarius:MONADISM Click to Read: Chapter 13 — Mercury: Transcendentalism, Scorpio:DYNAMISM Click to Read: Chapter 13 — Mercury: Transcendentalism, Virgo:PHENOMENALISM Click to Read: Chapter 13 — Mercury: Transcendentalism, Leo:SENSATIONALISM
14 Click to Read: Chapter 14  —  Individuality and Genus  Moon:Mood of Occultism Click to Read: Chapter 14 — Moon:Occultism, Cancer:MATERIALISM Click to Read: Chapter 14 — Moon:Occultism, Capricorn:SPIRITISM Click to Read: Chapter 14 — Moon:Occultism, Libra:REALISM Click to Read: Chapter 14 — Moon:Occultism, Aries:IDEALISM Click to Read: Chapter 14 — Moon:Occultism, Gemini:MATHEMATISM Click to Read: Chapter 14 — Moon:Occultism, Taurus:RATIONALISM Click to Read: Chapter 14 — Moon:Occultism, Pisces:PSYCHISM Click to Read: Chapter 14 — Moon:Occultism, Aquarius:PNEUMATISM Click to Read: Chapter 14 — Moon:Occultism, Sagittarius:MONADISM Click to Read: Chapter 14 — Moon:Occultism, Scorpio:DYNAMISM Click to Read: Chapter 14 — Moon:Occultism, Virgo:PHENOMENALISM Click to Read: Chapter 14 — Moon:Occultism, Leo:SENSATIONALISM



There is another aspect called Tones which Steiner makes in HACT and the three tones are shown in the 3 Tones Table.

3 Tones Table

No.
Tone
Planet
1
Theism
Sun
2
Intuitionism
Moon
3
Naturalism
Earth



There is one more world-picture a person may choose which is called Anthropomorphism. It can come about when one restricts oneself only to what one can experience on or around or in oneself. This next Table lists the total cosmic conceptions that one person may have and we can total them up to 23. Click on the Names in the first row to read about them. Click on the linked numbers in the second row to access the Tables in which they appear.

Cosmic Conceptions Table

Total
Moods
World Outlooks
Tones
Anthropomorphism
23
7
12
3
1


Note to/from Readers:

1.) This Study Guide is intended to be a working document. If any reader finds a typographical error, an error of fact, some confusing text, or a link which goes to the wrong place, please notify the authors of this piece. In general, comments which have to do with the decisions about which text is considered to be part of a Mood or World Outlook should be directed to Tom Last . Comments having to do with webpage design, linking, or the text on this Main Page should be directed to Bobby Matherne. To address either author, simple click on his name and a blank email will be generated to him.
2.) An excellent summary of each of the 14 Chapters which shows their inter-relationship was discerned by Tom Mellett and posted at this link. Click Here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ Footnotes ~~~~~~~~~~~~

Footnote 1.

This circular diagram is, rightly understood, a compass for the study of The Philosophy of Freedom. This relationship was discerned by Tom Last after a couple of readings of The Philosophy of Freedom and it is his insight and cooperation which makes possible this study guide. For those readers unfamiliar with the glyphes for the Astrological Signs, Click Here to see Table 2.

Return to text directly before Footnote 1.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Footnote 2. Stebbing's translation of The Philosophy of Freedom uses the title The Philosophy of Spiritual Activity.

Return to text directly before Footnote 2.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Footnote 3. Tom Last has spent, as of 2005, about seven thousand hours studying The Philosophy of Freedom[PoF]. About fifteen years ago, after having read PoF couple of times, he read Human and Cosmic Thought and he sensed immediately there was a connection between the two books. After examining a chapter in POF, it gradually became apparent to Tom that the sequence of world-outlooks expressed were in the same order as they are presented in H&CT. This initial discovery has held up under Tom's extensive further research and many readings of the book since then. Tom modestly minimizes the importance of his discovery saying anyone might discover the relationship as he did, but I'm reminded of this quote:

The obvious is that which is never seen until someone expresses it simply.
Christian Morgenstern (German poet, 1871-1914)

Return to text directly before Footnote 3.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Footnote 4.

This is an excerpt from an email written on 9/3/98 and 5/9/2005 between Emanuel Blosser, Hilmar Moore, and Bobby Matherne in which we discuss the relationship between freedom as a spiritual activity and music. When one swings into the spiritual world of universally valid knowledge and returns, one can only express one's individual experience of that knowledge. And each person's expression of universal knowledge will be different.

Hilmar:
While this tells us about the nature of thinking, and I love the idea of the shadow of thinking, it doesn't tell much about the nature of love. Makes me wonder: is love like jazz? — About which the legendary Louis Armstrong (quite possibly the most notable citizen ever born in New Orleans — right, Bobby?) said "if you have to ask what it is, you'll never know."

Hilmar (added May, 2005):
Many, many people in the late '20s had that experience of Armstrong: that this is something completely new, that he was playing at a level far above anyone else at the time, on any instrument, that every song he played was essentially re-made into a new composition by his improvisations, that every jazz player who aspired to greatness would have to study Louis's music. Only a handful of musicians in all of history have had this revolutionary effect. In his "Jazz" documentary, Wynton Marsalis has a great piece where he tells that Louis paid the bills by becoming a big star entertainer, which took away from his jazz status later on, as snobby musicians sought to deny the past and snobby critics wanted to tell everyone what was good and not good. But Marsalis says that he'd defy anyone to actually listen to an Armstrong instrumental when he was in his 40s and 50s, and then try to play exactly what Louis did, how he did it, with his intonation, drive and rhythm and so forth. Marsalis said he'd tried it many times and found it impossible. His singing was equally influential, although most folks only hear the gravelly voice and miss his amazing musicianship with his voice.

Armstrong was one of those artists who discovered how to be commercial enough to support himself well and still play at least some of what he wanted to. We are, of course, the poorer musically for that necessity, but then through his personality he exposed many people to jazz who otherwise would have heard little of it. Art and commerciality are never easy bedfellows. I consider him to be an initiate, obviously (to me) a leader of humanity through lifetimes, one of those, like Mozart or Beethoven, without whom the music would never have progressed as it did. I can only wonder what he'll do in his next incarnation.

Bobby:
Duke Ellington composed this song which goes, "It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing — doo wah doo wah — doo wah doo wah . . ." Or as Peter Schickele liked to close his NPR program, "It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that je ne sais quoi." Ellington demonstrated his point — that swing — in process, and Shickele even in trying to talk about it had to resort to saying about "that swing": I don't know what it is.

Emanuel:
One side of Louie's thought is that jazz can't be thought, that thinking gets in the way of or kills the reality of the music. The type of thinking that has this problem is the shadowy rock of spiritual reality that appears in ordinary consciousness. Living thinking doesn't have this problem. Louie's answer to what is jazz would still be correct for living thinking because one would have to ask what it is. Jazz like living thinking is a percept that has its concept united with it so that if one really hears it there is no need to ask for a "what it is" that is separate from what is heard. If one feels a need to ask what it is then one either hasn't heard the jazz or doesn't know living thinking or both.

Bobby:
This morning as I was researching the origins of jazz as I lay in bed listening to Live from the Riverwalk jazz from San Antonio, they talked about a group of high school kids who used to hang around a wind-up Victrola in the Midwest playing old 78s that one day encountered a jazz recording of the New Orleans Rhythm Kings. They played it over and over and over late into the nite, and decided on the spot to form a jazz band. They learned to play by listening this and other jazz recordings. One kid could only blow "toot, toot, toot" in rhythm for a long time before he began playing any melody. Then one night they [all white kids] got past the bouncer into an all-black club in Chicago to hear Louie with the King Oliver band. As soon as they heard Louie, they said, "This man is a master!" The point is they never took a single music lesson on how to blow notes, make harmony, or read notes when they formed their band and began playing jazz. It was pure direct experience. [I forgot the name of their band but it had the name Austin in it. It was the Austin High Gang, as Hilmar reminds me, a group who attended Austin High School in Chicago.] The sax player, perhaps it was Bud Freeman, was reported to be seen one windy night leaning on a street lamppost, and harmonizing with the wind humming through the telephone wires. He found his notes not written on a music score sheet, but written in the wind.

The announcer said at one point that the folks of the twenties who heard this music called it music of the devil, a refrain that we've heard about new music in every generation. The early jazz players were swinging into universally valid knowledge and bringing their cosmically acquired truths home to the rest of us via their individual experience of the music as they played it. Without the ability to swing into the realm of the universally valid [as Steiner calls it below], the critics of the new music label it out of their individual experience as "music of the devil" — an epithet that is more evaluative than descriptive. In fact, it is an enormous source of confusion that such judgments are loosely called moral judgments and such new music called immoral. To accept such usage is to confront again and again that immoral music becomes moral music in a short thirty years and to pass into currency a concept of moral relativism that is unbecoming of human beings from now on.

Let us recognize that freedom as a spiritual activity is the ultimate morality. As Steiner says:

[page 105 of PoSA] I do not consult a rule, nor do I ask someone else: Should I carry out this action? I carry it out the moment I have grasped the relevant idea. That is what alone makes it my action.

To do otherwise to become a "superior automaton that carries out orders" and that is anathema to true morality.

Emanuel:
PoSA, Chapter 10 Addendum (1) to Revised Edition of 1918:

[page 117, 118 of PoSA] What appears as a logical contradiction between the universal nature of cognitive ideas and the individual nature of moral ideas is the very thing that, when seen in its reality, becomes a living concept. It is a characteristic feature of the essential nature of man that what can be intuitively grasped swings to and fro within man, like a living pendulum, between universally valid knowledge and the individual experience of it. For those who cannot see the one half of the swing in its reality, thinking remains only a subjective human activity; for those who cannot grasp the other half, man's activity in thinking will seem to lose all individual life. For the first kind of thinker, it is the act of knowing that is an unintelligible fact; for the second kind, it is the moral life. Both will put forward all sorts of imagined ways of explaining the one or the other, all equally unfounded, either because they entirely fail to grasp that thinking can be actually experienced, or because they misunderstand it as a merely abstracting activity.

Bobby:
The living pendulums, which Louie and the other jazz greats were, swung into "universally valid knowledge" and brought back their individual experience of it in their music. It is the wonderfulness of jazz that no abstracting activity can capture its nature — and thus jazz has the nature of the individual human being itself.

Thanks, Emanuel and Hilmar, for this thoughtful post.

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Footnote 5. The names in this diagram are in Latin. Thus spera mercurius, e. g., refers to the Mercury Sphere and spera luna to the Moon Sphere.

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