From 11th to
22nd August, 1924, during his last visit to Great Britain, the
following Lecture-Course was given by Rudolf Steiner at a Summer
School in Torquay, Devon, organized by the Anthroposophical Society
in Great Britain. The lectures were delivered in three sections, each
being immediately translated into English by George Adams. Verbatim
reports were made by an experienced stenographer and the present,
entirely new translation, is based on these reports. It must,
however, be remembered that Rudolf Steiner constantly
emphasized the distinction between his written works and
reports of lectures which were given as oral communications and not
originally intended for print. The Course was given in compliance
with a request made to Dr. Steiner that the lectures should deal with
right and wrong practices connected with the development of
supersensory experience, and with the need for new insight in many
domains of modern culture.
* * *
As well as the main Course, lectures were given, in
Torquay and in London, to Members of the Anthroposophical Society.
These lectures have been published with the title:
Cosmic Christianity and the Impulse of Michael. Karma in the life
of Individuals and in the Evolution of the World.
Dr. Steiner also gave a course of lectures to teachers
who were shortly afterwards to found the first school in England (now
Michael Hall, Forest Row, Sussex) based upon the principles of
education of which he was the inaugurator. These lectures have been
published in a volume entitled,
The Kingdom of Childhood.
Performances of Eurythmy by artists from the
Goetheanum were given both in Torquay and in London and before Dr.
Steiner left this country he delivered two lectures to doctors and
medical students in London, also an Address and Public Lecture on
Spiritual Values in Education.
* * *
A list of literature bearing directly upon the
contents of the lectures in the present volume will be found at the
end of the texts, together with a summarized plan of the Complete
Edition of Rudolf Steiner's works in the original German.
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