Anthropos is a Greek word that means "human being". Sophos means "wise". Steiner believed every human being had the wisdom to understand the mysteries of existence. He left the German Theosophical Society in 1912 trading divine wisdom for human wisdom.
Central ideas[change | change source]
Anthroposophy does not have a rigid set of beliefs. It is said to be a philosophy of freedom. Each person connects to the world through an individual path.
The path to wisdom is based on research. The research leads to knowledge. This is similar to teachings of Thomas Aquinas. Anthroposophy is different in that it pursues knowledge of science, the arts and spirituality all together.
The philosophy also teaches respect of other humans. It encourages support of others in their interest and learning of the spiritual world. To support this, Steiner created The Anthroposophical Society in 1923. It is now called the General Anthroposophical Society. The society has groups and national societies in over 75 countries.