The Philosophy of Freedom

A Modern Philosophy of Life Developed by Scientific Methods

By: Rudolf Steiner

Narrated by: Matthew Schmitz

Brought to you by Altrusian Grace Media and narrate by Matthew Schmitz. This is the first English translation and the only one sanctioned by Rudolf Steiner himself. First published in 1916, it is based on the original 1894 German Die Philosophie der Freiheit. Other translations have been based on the 1918 revised German edition. It includes inspiring passages about individualism that were removed from the book in 1918 and are missing in later translations.

The Philosophy of Freedom is the fundamental philosophical work of philosopher, Goethe scholar and esotericist Rudolf Steiner (1861–1925). It addresses the question of whether and in what sense human beings are free. Originally published in 1894 in German as Die Philosophie der Freiheit, with a second edition published in 1918, the work has appeared under a number of English titles, including The Philosophy of Spiritual Activity (the title Steiner proposed for the English-language translation, The Philosophy of Freedom, and Intuitive Thinking as a Spiritual Path.

Part One of The Philosophy of Freedom examines the basis of freedom in human thinking, gives an account of the relationship between knowledge and perception, and explores the role and reliability of thinking in the formation of knowledge.

In Part Two Steiner analyzes the conditions necessary for human beings to be free, and develops a moral philosophy that he labels "ethical individualism". The book's subtitle, Some results of introspective observation following the methods of natural science, indicates the philosophical approach Steiner intends to take. Steiner hoped that the book "would gain him a professorship", but the book "did not receive the attention he had hoped for." In fact, the book was reasonably favorably received in English, with reviews in Mind, the leading journal of philosophy in England, the Philosophical Review, and the Monist and in German.

©2023 Matthew Schmitz (P)2025 Matthew Schmitz