Anthroposophy and Ecofascism 117
Continuing my commentary on the 36th paragraph of Peter Staudenmaier's Anthroposophy and Ecofascism.
In Steiner's pedagogy there are two major events, or milestones, in childhood development. Both indicate processes that culminate at that point, and both are referred to in Peter Staudenmaier's paragraph, though inaccurately. The first is the first dentition, or loss of the baby teeth, and the second is puberty. These two major milestones are roughly seven years apart, so that childhood and adolescence can be divided into roughly three seven-year periods. Now what these seven-year periods signify to Waldorf pedagogy is indeed important, and there is much talk of these seven-year periods in Waldorf education.
The first seven-year period, from birth to the beginning of the first dentition, is a period in which the physical body in particular is developing.* Now contrary to Peter Staudenmaier's belief, the physical body is not the only thing developing, for the etheric and astral bodies are also developing, and a fourth element, called the ego, is also present and active. However, of all the developments, Steiner considers the development of the physical body to be the most significant. Likewise, the second seven-year period is one in which the etheric body's development has especial significance. This is not to indicate, as Peter Staudenmaier does, that the physical body stops development, or that the astral body is inactive. Both continue to develop, but the etheric body's development is most important. The onset of puberty (which today is closer to age 12 than 14) signifies the start of a period of special development of the astral body. The etheric body and physical bodies continue to develop, as does the ego. In one poetic description, Steiner talked about a second, third and fourth "birth"; that at first dentition the etheric body was "born", at puberty the astral body was "born" and at roughly 21 the ego is "born". This is to be understood allegorically, since in Steiner’s view they are all present even before the child’s physical birth.
In Steiner's pedagogy there are two major events, or milestones, in childhood development. Both indicate processes that culminate at that point, and both are referred to in Peter Staudenmaier's paragraph, though inaccurately. The first is the first dentition, or loss of the baby teeth, and the second is puberty. These two major milestones are roughly seven years apart, so that childhood and adolescence can be divided into roughly three seven-year periods. Now what these seven-year periods signify to Waldorf pedagogy is indeed important, and there is much talk of these seven-year periods in Waldorf education.
The first seven-year period, from birth to the beginning of the first dentition, is a period in which the physical body in particular is developing.* Now contrary to Peter Staudenmaier's belief, the physical body is not the only thing developing, for the etheric and astral bodies are also developing, and a fourth element, called the ego, is also present and active. However, of all the developments, Steiner considers the development of the physical body to be the most significant. Likewise, the second seven-year period is one in which the etheric body's development has especial significance. This is not to indicate, as Peter Staudenmaier does, that the physical body stops development, or that the astral body is inactive. Both continue to develop, but the etheric body's development is most important. The onset of puberty (which today is closer to age 12 than 14) signifies the start of a period of special development of the astral body. The etheric body and physical bodies continue to develop, as does the ego. In one poetic description, Steiner talked about a second, third and fourth "birth"; that at first dentition the etheric body was "born", at puberty the astral body was "born" and at roughly 21 the ego is "born". This is to be understood allegorically, since in Steiner’s view they are all present even before the child’s physical birth.
* The theme of seven-year periods in human development is quite common in Steiner's work, and he develops it in literally hundreds of lectures in dozens of books. A good overview can be obtained by reading Rudolf Steiner, The Child's Changing Consciousness. Hudson, NY: Anthroposophic Press, 1988.
posted by Daniel | 4:58 PM
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