The human being as creator
The Humanities Section’s areas of research range from the basic works of anthroposophy to the study of contemporary phenomena such as transhumanism.
Christiane Haid’s maxim as head of the Humanities Section at the Goetheanum is that art is an essential formative influence, for the forces in us that are addressed by the arts sustain our existence and allow us to build a bridge between cosmos and earth and to be «citizens of both worlds».
Founts of health
The study of existential questions of humanity finds a positive echo in events centred on Rudolf Steiner’s basic works, such as Anthroposophy – a Fragment (GA 45) or Esoteric Science (GA 13). People who attend these events describe entering into their contents as «refreshing» and as «founts of health», including, and especially, in relation to the times. This year, the annual conferences on Rudolf Steiner’s gospel lectures have found expression in a book, edited by Christiane Haid and Jaap Sijmons, on the apocalypse of St John (Apokalypse im Ich. Anthroposophische Perspektiven auf die Apokalypse des Johannes). These conferences provide opportunities for achieving a deeper understanding of the unfolding of Rudolf Steiner’s Christology in his work.
The research on the humanizing effect of literature has led Ariane Eichenberg and Christiane Haid both to classics like Wolfram von Eschenbach’s Parzifal, Goethe’s Faust and Adalbert Stifter’s Colourful Stones and to contemporary works by authors such as Peter Handke, Patrick Roth and Marica Bodrožić. Humanity is caught in a field of tension of creativity and intelligence. Digital technologies are fascinating, combining patterns of what already exists. The real creative act is reserved to humans, however, particularly in their interaction with their fellow humans. The second transhumanism conference, which built a bridge between art, academic science and anthroposophy, also demanded of us that we develop our own judgement. A new field of research has emerged that will require studying Rudolf Steiner’s statements on technology and the questions arising from transhumanism.