Ideas, Relationships, Action: Reflections on a Think OutWord Intensive

Finding the Ideas & Relationships that can Help Us take Courageous Action

by Emma Heirman

On the weekend of September 11th, 2009, twentynine people met at the Hawthorne Valley Farm in Ghent, NY for an intensive workshop, organized by members of Think OutWord, on Steiner’s book Towards Social Renewal. This book outlines Steiner’s seminal ideas of the three realms of society: the economic, political and cultural/spiritual. In less than three days we powered through the ideas of this threefold nature while focusing on the key economic (mis)conceptions about labor, land and capital, as well as the loss of soul life in our everyday work. We were guided with the help of many focused presentations and discussions led by participants.

The first chapter, The True Dimensions of the Social Question, begs us to tackle what is unhealthy in the world once we understand its context and true nature. This is only possible when we form our questions out of truth. What was the historical context of Germany in the early 1900s? At this time, Steiner explains that the worker’s movement was misled by old, dead ideas. Germany’s leadership was blind to the internal suffering caused by the loss of human connection. Not only was the worker limited to scientific thinking that rendered the spiritual abstract and meaningless, but he was also limited to a work life consequent of the Industrial Revolution: divided, disconnected and devoid of dignity. Unlike the aristocrat, the worker could no longer feed off of cultural traditions of the past. He was led to believe that the spiritual was mere ideology, a lifeless and improvable theory with no sustaining forces. This context provides a foundation for the questions that Steiner asks:

What is the role of economic life?

How do we integrate labor? And what are healthy forms of a spiritual/ cultural life?

loss of soul life in everyday work

suffering caused by loss of human connection

work life divided, disconnected, & devoid of dignity

In order to find solutions, we must discern the three realms and their interaction. The true nature of economics, for example, is the production of goods to meet the needs of the whole community. This fact has been grossly misconstrued in the treatment of human labor and capital. Steiner explains that if our labor is to be in alignment with our soul life, then it cannot be treated as just another commodity on the open market, and therefore cannot be controlled by the economic sphere. In today’s market economy we are led to believe that personal profit is the real motivation behind human labor. However, the archetypal ideal of work is its contribution to community.

a society without free access to capital is like a paralyzed body

Capital and land have also been manipulated; they are exclusive to those with wealth. Steiner says that a society without free access to capital is like a paralyzed body. Healthy capital is not owned but administered. Stagnant capital and amassed wealth have no value. Land, if held in the hands of an unproductive person, serves no purpose. We should be asking how capital and land can best serve our community. Also, Steiner demonstrates that in a healthy society the needs of all citizens must be met and their capacities best utilized for the good of the whole community. In a healthy society there would be brotherhood in our economic striving, equality in our political dealings, and freedom in our cultural pursuits. Individually, we would release our hold on money and land, and relinquish self-aggrandizement for deeper, more humanitarian motivations in our work.

form our questions out of truth

labor in alignment with our soul life

to nurture growth, stop living out of old ideas

look with fresh eyes

The weekend ended with questions, but also with new and reaffirmed convictions. In order to nurture growth, we must stop living out of old ideas and encounter the world in new ways. Can we look with fresh eyes and see the reality of what is unwell in the world? When truth and trust seem intangible we have to remind ourselves to be courageous. We are responsible for opening our own minds and hearts to recognize the depth of our questions and the possibilities for our future. Steiner asks in Lecture 1 in The Esoteric Aspect of the Social Question: “Is it conceivable that in the chaos of today’s social life people will find a proper relationship to one another—which is essential for any real solution of the social enigma?”

opening our own minds and hearts

Think OutWord is one of the ways I seek this proper relation. In the spirit of Michael this fall season let us all find ways to be courageous and take action with one another.

ThinkOutWord is no longer active, but you can learn more about it at www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064440141713