Compare Conformity With Individuality

STEPS TO FREEDOM

00. The Inner Truth Of Individual Life

Compare Conformity With Individuality

Book Text

Expert Validation

Individual Validation

Study Course Content

THE PHILOSOPHY OF FREEDOM

Some Are Worthy

Conformist Language

By Rudolf Steiner

0. THE GOAL OF KNOWLEDGE

Individualist Language

All Are Worthy

1

2

5

Step #12

CASE 1

CASE 2

Step #5

CASE 2

CASE 1

Conformist Expression

1

Strive To Be Normal

YOU ARE

HERE

Step #1

CASE 2

CASE 1

Conformist Language

The conformist uses language according to the demands of standard diction and grammar.

Individualist Language

The individualist uses language in a way such as slang, that best expresses intended meaning.

Some Are Worthy

The conformist believes only some of us are noble and worthy of development.

All Are Worthy

The individualist believes that if we look in the heart of each one, there is something noble and worthy of development.

Step #11

CASE 1

CASE 2

Step #6

CASE 2

CASE 1

Individualist Expression

Strive To Be Your Self

0.0 Striving For Individuality

[1] I BELIEVE one of the fundamental characteristics of our age is that human interest centers in the culture of individuality. An energetic effort is being made to shake off every kind of authority. Nothing is accepted as valid, unless it springs from the roots of individuality. Everything that hinders the individual from fully developing his powers is thrust aside. The saying “Each one of us must choose his hero in whose footsteps he toils up to Mount Olympus” no longer holds true for us. We allow no ideals to be forced upon us. We are convinced that in each of us, if only we probe deep enough into the very heart of our being, there dwells something noble, something worthy of development. We no longer believe there is a norm of human life to which we must all strive to conform. We regard the perfection of the whole as depending on the unique perfection of each single individual. We do not want to do what anyone else can do equally well. No, our contribution to the development of the world, however trifling, must be something that, by reason of the uniqueness of our nature, we alone can offer. Never have artists been less concerned about rules and norms in art than today. Each one asserts the right to express, in the creations of his art, what is unique in him. Just as there are playwrights who write in slang rather than conform to the standard diction grammar demands.

[2] No better expression for these phenomena can be found than this, they result from the individual’s striving towards freedom, developed to its highest pitch. We do not want to be dependent in any respect, and where dependence must be, we tolerate it only on condition it coincides with a vital interest of our individuality.

1

STEPS TO FREEDOM

This is a step by step path to free thinking and action based on a science of freedom. The scientific method of comparative study and self-observation are applied for each step. You are asked to compare two sides of human experience, Case 1 and Case 2, as a means to understand individuality, knowledge, and ethics. It is drawn from Rudolf Steiner's "The Philosophy Of Freedom", with 12 steps from each chapter. The book is available free online at philosophyoffreedom.com.

INTRODUCTION (24 steps)

00. The Inner Truth Of Individual Life

0. The Inner Truth Of Knowledge

PATH TO FREEDOM (168 steps)

Part I Free Thinking

1. The Inner Truth Of Human Action

2. The Inner Truth Of The Desire For Knowledge

3. The Inner Truth Of Thinking

4. The Inner Truth Of Perception

5. The Inner Truth Of Conception

6. The Inner Truth Of Representation

7. The Inner Truth Of Cognition

Part II Free Action

8. The Inner Truth Of Self

9. The Inner Truth Of Freedom

10. The Inner Truth Of Moral Authority

11. The Inner Truth Of Moral Imagination

12. The Inner Truth Of Purpose

13. The Inner Truth Of Value

14. The Inner Truth Of Individuality

6

Individual Validation

Individualist: The individualist accepts nothing as valid, unless it springs from the source of individuality

Expert Validation

Conformist: The conformist accepts nothing as valid, unless its source is recognized experts or respected institutions.

Individualist Expression

The individualist asserts the right to creatively express what is unique in him.

Conformist Expression

The conformist asserts the duty to creatively express the message of the organization.

Strive To Be Your Self

The individualist no longer believes in a norm of human life, but strives to be himself.

Strive To Be Normal

The conformist believes there is a norm of human life to which we must all strive to conform.

Culture Of Conformity

Culture Of Individuality

Step #3

Follow Your Hero

CASE 2

CASE 1

Step #4

CASE 1

CASE 2

Group Ideals

0

3

4

Find Your Own Way

Find Your Own Way

The individualist finds his own way in the struggle up the mountain.

Follow Your Hero

The conformist chooses a hero and follows their footsteps in the struggle up the mountain.

Individual Ideals

The individualist allows no ideals to be forced upon him.

Group Ideals

The conformist accepts the ideals demanded by the group.

Individual Ideals

Step #10

CASE 1

CASE 2

Culture Of Conformity

In a culture of conformity, you do not question authority.

Culture Of Individuality

In a culture of individuality, an effort is made to remove every kind of authority.

Step #7

0

1

CASE 1

CASE 2

Step #2

CASE 2

CASE 1

Artistic Conformist

Artistic Conformist

The artistic conformist follows the rules and norms in art.

Artistic Individualist

The artistic individualist follows his creative impulse without being as concerned with the rules and norms.

Website: philosophyoffreedom.com

7

Perfection Of Group

Perfection Of Each

The perfection of the group depends on the unique perfection of each individual.

Perfection Of Group

The perfection of the group depends on the perfection of group cooperation.

Step #9

CASE 1

CASE 2

Artistic Individualist

Step #8

CASE 2

CASE 1

Individual Empowerment

The individualist sacrifices everything that hinders his personal growth and empowerment.

Group Empowerment

The conformist sacrifices everything that hinders the growth and empowerment of the organization.

Independent Of Others

Dependent On Others

Perfection Of Each

2

Group Service

The conformist contributes to world development by performing the task needed within the group initiative.

Individual Service

The individualist contributes to world development by performing a task that he alone can offer.

9

Individual Action

The individualist does not want to do what others can do equally well.

Collective Action

The conformist joins others in collective work within the group.

8

Group Service

Collective Action

Dependent On Others

The conformist is content to be dependent on others.

Independent Of Others

The individualist is not content until he becomes independent. He tolerates dependence only on the condition it coincides with a vital interest of his individuality.

Striving For Freedom

There is no better way to understand the behavior of an individualist, than to know it is the result of striving towards freedom, to the highest degree.

Individual Service

Individual Truth Next

The life of an individualist springs from deep within the heart of one's being. Truth, too, is sought by the individualist in the depths of human nature as inner truth. What is the difference between inner truth and outer truth? Our discussion will turn to this next.

Individual Action

Individual Empowerment

Group Empowerment