The Four Temperaments E-Book

Rudolf Steiner

• Herausgeber: Rudolf Steiner Press
• Kategorie: Ratgeber
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2013

Seitenzahl: 25

Beschreibung

"The two streams in the human being combine to produce what is commonly known as a person's temperament. Our inner self and our inherited traits co-mingle in it. Temperament is an intermediary between what connects us to an ancestral line and what we bring with us... Temperament strikes a balance between the eternal and the ephemeral..." From personal spiritual insight, Rudolf Steiner renews and broadens the ancient teaching of the four temperaments. He explains how each person's combination of temperaments - with one usually uppermost - is shaped. Steiner gives lively descriptions of the passive, comfort-seeking phlegmatic, the fickle, flitting sanguine, the pained, gloomy melancholic and the fiery, assertive choleric. He also offers practical suggestions aimed at teachers and parents for addressing the various manifestations of the temperaments in children, as well as advice intended for adults' personal development.

Leseprobe

About the Author

RUDOLF STEINER (1861–1925) called his spiritual philosophy ‘anthroposophy’, meaning ‘wisdom of the human being’. As a highly developed seer, he based his work on direct knowledge and perception of spiritual dimensions. He initiated a modern and universal ‘science of spirit’, accessible to anyone willing to exercise clear and unprejudiced thinking.

From his spiritual investigations Steiner provided suggestions for the renewal of many activities, including education (both general and special), agriculture, medicine, economics, architecture, science, philosophy, religion and the arts. Today there are thousands of schools, clinics, farms and other organizations involved in practical work based on his principles. His many published works feature his research into the spiritual nature of the human being, the evolution of the world and humanity, and methods of personal development. Steiner wrote some 30 books and delivered over 6000 lectures across Europe. In 1924 he founded the General Anthroposophical Society, which today has branches throughout the world.

THE FOURTEMPERAMENTS

RUDOLF STEINER

Sophia Books

Sophia BooksAn imprint of Rudolf Steiner PressHillside House, The SquareForest Row, RH18 5ES

www.rudolfsteinerpress.com

Published by Rudolf Steiner Press 2012

First published in a translation by B. Kelly by Rudolf Steiner Press and Anthroposophic Press in 1987

This translation revised by Matthew Barton© Rudolf Steiner Press 2008

Originally published in German as part of the volume entitled Wo und wie findet man den Geist? (volume 57 in the Rudolf Steiner Gesamtausgabe or Collected Works) by Rudolf Steiner Verlag, Dornach. This authorized translation is published by permission of the Rudolf Steiner Nachlassverwaltung, Dornach

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 978 1 85584 288 5

Cover by Andrew MorganTypeset by DP Photosetting, Neath, West Glamorgan

Contents

THE FOUR TEMPERAMENTS

Notes

Further Reading

Publisher’s Note on Rudolf Steiner’s Lectures

It has often been said that the human being himself is the greatest riddle for humanity to solve. Both natural and spiritual science try to find some ultimate answer to this riddle, the former by grasping the natural laws that govern our outward characteristics, the latter by seeking the essence and purpose inherent in our existence. As true as it may be that the human being is his own greatest riddle in a general sense, we must also see that each single one of us is a riddle too, often even to ourselves. We all experience this when we encounter other people.