Black Lives Matter protest. Foto: James Eades / Unsplash
The paper titled Anthroposophy and Racism (see below) addresses accusations of racism aimed at Rudolf Steiner and anthroposophy. Gerald Häfner, Constanza Kaliks, Peter Selg and Justus Wittich provide an outline of the anthroposophical position during the emergence and implementation of National Socialism in Germany. There were vehement journalistic and even actual attacks on Rudolf Steiner from “nationalist, right-wing, racist and anti-Semitic groups”. After the war, the accusations came from the political left and focused on “converging content and ideology” (key word: eco-fascism) and alleged cooperation with the Nazis. The paper rejects these allegations: they do not arise from an interest in knowledge because existing statements and monographs on the question were not consulted. The conclusion the paper arrives at is that of the “strategic management of opinions and indignation”.
Individual autonomy and self-efficacy
While Rudolf Steiner mentioned biological, ethnic and cultural influences on humanity, his main concern was with “the individuality’s autonomy and self-efficacy” and its capacity to “transcend and transform biological, cultural and social premises and conditions”. In 2000, a commission around the human rights expert Ted van Baarda (NL) identified individual passages in Rudolf Steiner’s work that are considered racist today, but did not find any evidence of racist disparagement of others or of systemic racism.
The authors of the paper also look critically at the Anthroposophical Society and at where it appears very inward-oriented. They also honour the not to be underestimated achievement of members in the face of “challenging circumstances and immense opposition”. The practice of anthroposophy is based on cosmopolitan and social commitment.
Anthroposophy and Racism
The question of how Rudolf Steiner, anthroposophists and anthroposophical institutions deal with issues of racism and racial discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance is a very legitimate one following a ‘genocidal’ century and in view of the extreme inequalities in the world today. Racism, racial discrimination, disrespect and moreover, the exploitation and destruction of livelihoods and lives of others are huge challenges of our present time. It is therefore important and right to question what position anthroposophists take on this.
Nevertheless, it cannot be overlooked that the question of the anthroposophical position has been raised in public for many decades – and increasingly so recently – not out of an interest in knowledge. It is often part of polemic discourse, a defamation of Rudolf Steiner, anthroposophical institutions and Anthroposophy itself. That the accusation of racism is asserted as a ‘morally irrefutable argument’ (Ballard) has long been recognized. By associating Rudolf Steiner, Anthroposophy or anthroposophical initiatives with it, they become socially stigmatized and marginalized. Differentiated position statements and a variety of carefully prepared articles, studies and books from the anthroposophical perspective have not changed this situation to date, nor do they gain nearly the same publicity and dissemination as the sweeping accusations do.
All this has caused considerable frustration, even among people who are in principle interested in or sympathetic to anthroposophical activities, as well as among the members of the Anthroposophical Society itself. In view of this situation, we decided to write a contribution that seeks to address the overall question – substantiating both content and strategy. In the following discourse, we develop in sketch form, historical and ideological contexts, which seem to us to be of importance for the individual assessment of the accusations made. Moreover, we outline the tasks and challenges of the Anthroposophical Society and anthroposophical institutions in a world marked by injustice and discrimination. Resolute rejection of untruthful statements and insinuations within the journalistic debate is both meaningful and necessary; however, the self-critical scrutinization of our own attitude to the extent of injustice in the world – as well as our own contribution to the overcoming of it – seems to us to be of equal importance. In our view, only through both can a development towards the future emerge, within the anthroposophical context as well.
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Individual autonomy and self-efficacy
While Rudolf Steiner mentioned biological, ethnic and cultural influences on humanity, his main concern was with “the individuality’s autonomy and self-efficacy” and its capacity to “transcend and transform biological, cultural and social premises and conditions”. In 2000, a commission around the human rights expert Ted van Baarda (NL) identified individual passages in Rudolf Steiner’s work that are considered racist today, but did not find any evidence of racist disparagement of others or of systemic racism.
The authors of the paper also look critically at the Anthroposophical Society and at where it appears very inward-oriented. They also honour the not to be underestimated achievement of members in the face of “challenging circumstances and immense opposition”. The practice of anthroposophy is based on cosmopolitan and social commitment.
Anthroposophy and Racism
The question of how Rudolf Steiner, anthroposophists and anthroposophical institutions deal with issues of racism and racial discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance is a very legitimate one following a ‘genocidal’ century and in view of the extreme inequalities in the world today. Racism, racial discrimination, disrespect and moreover, the exploitation and destruction of livelihoods and lives of others are huge challenges of our present time. It is therefore important and right to question what position anthroposophists take on this.
Nevertheless, it cannot be overlooked that the question of the anthroposophical position has been raised in public for many decades – and increasingly so recently – not out of an interest in knowledge. It is often part of polemic discourse, a defamation of Rudolf Steiner, anthroposophical institutions and Anthroposophy itself. That the accusation of racism is asserted as a ‘morally irrefutable argument’ (Ballard) has long been recognized. By associating Rudolf Steiner, Anthroposophy or anthroposophical initiatives with it, they become socially stigmatized and marginalized. Differentiated position statements and a variety of carefully prepared articles, studies and books from the anthroposophical perspective have not changed this situation to date, nor do they gain nearly the same publicity and dissemination as the sweeping accusations do.
All this has caused considerable frustration, even among people who are in principle interested in or sympathetic to anthroposophical activities, as well as among the members of the Anthroposophical Society itself. In view of this situation, we decided to write a contribution that seeks to address the overall question – substantiating both content and strategy. In the following discourse, we develop in sketch form, historical and ideological contexts, which seem to us to be of importance for the individual assessment of the accusations made. Moreover, we outline the tasks and challenges of the Anthroposophical Society and anthroposophical institutions in a world marked by injustice and discrimination. Resolute rejection of untruthful statements and insinuations within the journalistic debate is both meaningful and necessary; however, the self-critical scrutinization of our own attitude to the extent of injustice in the world – as well as our own contribution to the overcoming of it – seems to us to be of equal importance. In our view, only through both can a development towards the future emerge, within the anthroposophical context as well.
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