"Modern humanity has only a first inkling of the real nature of the social question. It will assume its real form when the structure of the social organism is such that the three life forces underlying all human existence can rise in their true form from a vague instinct into conscious thought".
Rudolf Steiner, The Renewal of the Social Organism.
THE THREEFOLD
SOCIAL ORDER
CENTENARY
DEVELOPING IMAGINATIVE THINKING
● Goethean nature observation - the phenomenological method developed by Steiner from the 19th century German poet Johann von Goethe. This has many dimensions and forms of practice (include mineral, plant, animal and colour studies, phenomenology of the human form). The key to this work is what Goethe called "exact imagination" or "cognitive feeling". The main publisher of works on Goethean science in the English language is Adonis Press; click here.
● "Social Self - toward a new social and economic literacy". A project of Adonis Press. Click here.
● Goethean conversation - a social art developed through the way group of people develop a form of conversation which moves from "associative rambling" to collective imaginative and intuitive thinking. Deriving from the influential booklet by Margorie Spock Group Moral Artistry. Click here.
● Phenomenology by Tom van Gelder - on this website is information on observing, phenomenology (Goethean science), the twelve senses, Rudolf Steiner's Basic Exercises, threefoldness of the human organism and animals and embryology. Numerous visuals and practical exercises included. Click here.
●Atelier for the Social Quest - a course based in Australia which develops Goethean observation, leading to an exploration of the threefold social order. Self-conducted in a group situation over a minimum of 30 weeks. In three stages - NATURE (Goethean phenomenology, studying plants, animals, colours and the human organism), SELF (the evolution of human consciousness understood through works of art), SOCIETY (the threefold social order, work, social art and creativity). Click here.
". . . a spiritual contemplation of nature will provide means for the kind of training in thought which, among other things, makes it possible to comprehend the social organism".
Rudolf Steiner, The Renewal of the Social Organism
EDUCATION AND THE THREEFOLD SOCIAL IMPULSE
In this direction the following may prove useful:
● Waldorf Training Lectures - presented by Lynn Kern, a series of nine lectures with themes developing from the threefold social order to questions of school governance and accounting. Purchase for $US300 plus shipping from Prairie Moon Waldorf School (exerpts on YouTube in the Channel "Waldorf Training Lectures"). To purchase the DVDs clickhere.
THE THREEFOLD SOCIAL ORGANISM - GENERAL
Perlas, N. Shaping Globalisation: Civil Society, Cultural Power and Threefolding, CADI, Quezon City, Philippines, 2000.
Rohan, J. Functional Threefoldness in the Human Organism and Human Society, Adonis Press, Hillsdale, 2011.
Steiner, R. Toward Social Renewal: Basic Issues of the Social Question, Rudolf Steiner Press, 1999, (Steiner's central book on social questions.)
_____, The Social Future, Anthroposophic Press, Spring Valley, 1972
_____, Social Issues: Meditative Thinking and the Threefold Social Order, Anthrosophic Press, Hudson, 1991 (here Steiner describes how a new kind of thinking will lead to social renewal and freedom of the individual in the cultural sphere).
THE CULTURAL-SPIRITUAL SPHERE AND THE POLITICAL-RIGHTS SPHERE
Dahlin, B. Steiner Waldorf Education, Social Threefolding and Civil Society: Education as Cultural Power, (RoSE - Research on Steiner Education), Vol. 1 No. 1. Jan 2010. Clickhere.
McAlice, J. Engaged Community: The Challenge of Self-Governance in Waldorf Education, Lindisfarne Books, Great Barrington, 2013.
Steiner, R. Education as a Force for Social Change, Anthroposophic Press, Hudson, 1997.
Hawthorne Valley, Centre for Social Research - site contains a number of downloadable articles in relation to political-rights and cultural-spiritual spheres, as well as the economic. Click here.
THE ECONOMIC SPHERE
Budd, C. Prelude in Economics, New Economy Publications, 1980.
Desaules, M. A Human Response to Globalisation: Discovering Associative Economics, New Economy Publications, 1996.
Lamb, G. Associative Economics: Spiritual Activity for the Common Good, AWSNA, Ghent, 2010.
Lamb, G. & Hearn, S., Steinerian Economics, Adonis Press, Hillsdale, 2014.
Large, M. Common Wealth: For a Free, Equal, Mutual and Sustainable Society, Hawthorne Press, Stroud, 2010.
Spence, M. Freeing the human Spirit: The Threefold Social Order, Money & the Waldorf School, AWSNA, Fair Oaks, 1999.
____, After Capitalism, Adonis Press, Hillsdale, 2014.
Steiner, R. World Economy: The formation of a science of world-economics, Rudolf Steiner Press, 1990.
_____, Freedom of Thought and Social Forces, Steiner Books, Great Barrington, 2008.
Online
● The Centre for Associative Economics - UK-based research, publication (newsletter) and educational centre based to a large extent on the economics ideas of Steiner. Click here.
●The Economics Conference at the Goetheanum - the section dealing with Steiner economic ideas, with reading list and notification of activities. Click here.
Lynne Kern, Lecture 1 of 8 (excerpt)
Adventures in Governance: The Threefold Social Order
Nicanor Perlas on the threefold social order and the Philippines.
" . . . no matter in what sphere of thought, we should pass from the mere abstract concepts to ideation of an imaginative kind. We can never found a real science of Economics without developing pictorial ideas . . . "
Rudolf Steiner, World Economy