Anthroposophy and Ecofascism 114

Staudenmaier lackes an understanding of the anthroposophical understanding of karma and all its nuance. For example, it would indeed strain credulity to believe that every individual child in each class in every Waldorf School chooses every other student in the class and the teacher before birth. If nothing else, such a conception provides precious little space for the agency of free will. So it will probably surprise no one besides Peter Staudenmaier that this is not an article of faith for every teacher in every Waldorf School. Inasmuch as Waldorf teachers are students of Anthroposophy (and while many are, quite a few are not) they may take into consideration that karma might play some role in the interaction they have with their students. But this consideration applies equally to all other social interactions. And precious few Waldorf teachers pretend to a degree of karmic insight sufficient to know the pre-earthly intentions of all, or any, of their students. Instead the concept of karma helps the teacher respect the individuality of each student. Given the nature of the concept of karma – that in the course of repeated earth lives we learn in order to grow – it is hardly surprising that this relates to the very principle of education. Thus it is not incorrect that to one who believes in the concept, "karma is the basis of all true education". However it is mistaken to contend as Peter Staudenmaier and others do that this basic principle somehow translates into a rigid belief in the iron hand of fate determining classroom configurations.

A proper understanding of the anthroposophical conception of Karma is critical for forming a basis for understanding how this does and does not effect Waldorf education. The essential point that so many critics seem to miss is the fact that karma does not equal pre-destiny. In the anthroposophical conception, karma is like a checklist of to-do items for a lifetime – a list that may be completed along with many additional adventures, or that may not have even one item completed. Because of the existence of free will and the forward-looking as well as backward-looking nature of karma, many unplanned things may happen in any life (with consequences for the future) and no one can tell what is karmic, and what is the result of free will. Thus no true anthroposophist (or Waldorf teacher) will go around claiming that this or that event or tendency is "karma". Absent clairvoyance, which very few claim for themselves, no one can tell one way or the other.