The Meaning of Life and Other Lectures on Fundamental Issues

What is the meaning of Life? Rudolf Steiner discusses this ancient enigma with refreshing directness, offering profound and enlighten­ing answers. In this inspiring collection of talks, Steiner speaks on themes related to health, reincarnation, destiny, luck, and the trials of modern life. Most of these talks were originally published in booklet form and have been out of print for some years.

The variety of topics is unified by the fact that all the lectures address practical and fundamental issues facing us in our modern lives: “Growth, Decay and Reincarnation,” “Human Participation in Evolution,” “Illu­sory Illness,” “The Feverish Pursuit of Health,” “Luck―Reality and Illusion,” “Psychological Distress and the Birth Pangs of the Consciousness Soul,” and “How to Listen to the Spirit.”

Rudolf Steiner (1861–1925) was born in the small village of Kraljevec, Austro-Hungarian Empire (now in Croatia), where he grew up. As a young man, he lived in Weimar and Berlin, where he became a well-published scientific, literary, and philosophical scholar, known especially for his work with Goethe’s scientific writings. At the beginning of the twentieth century, he began to develop his early philosophical principles into an approach to systematic research into psychological and spiritual phenomena. Formally beginning his spiritual teaching career under the auspices of the Theosophical Society, Steiner came to use the term Anthroposophy (and spiritual science) for his philosophy, spiritual research, and findings. The influence of Steiner’s multifaceted genius has led to innovative and holistic approaches in medicine, various therapies, philosophy, religious renewal, Waldorf education, education for special needs, threefold economics, biodynamic agriculture, Goethean science, architecture, and the arts of drama, speech, and eurythmy. In 1924, Rudolf Steiner founded the General Anthroposophical Society, which today has branches throughout the world. He died in Dornach, Switzerland.