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The Rudolf Steiner Archive

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The Renewal of the Social Organism
GA 24

The most recent third edition of GA 24 has been published in a modified form under the new title Ausführung der Dreigliederung des sozialen Organismus (1920) und Aufsätze, Aufrufe, Flugschriften zur Dreigliederung (1919-1922). Texts related to World War I rather than the threefolding of the social organism are now included in the new volume of the Complete Edition entitled Thoughts during the time of the war (1915) and further texts on the events of the World War (1917-1921) GA 19: The pamphlet Thoughts During the Time of War, a book review from 1917, the memoranda from 1917, a preface from 1919 and an interview with Jules Sauerwein on questions about world war events from 1921. GA 24, together with the core points of the social question GA 23, documents Rudolf Steiner's writings and essays written in connection with the Threefold Movement.

This volume thus comprises different types of texts: a collection of essays published as a book, essays, appeals, leaflets, manuscripts and communications. The first part is the independent work In Ausführung der Dreigliederung des sozialen Organismus (Stuttgart 1920). This is followed by the other writings on the social question and the current situation, further essays from Dreigliederung and from the journal Soziale Zukunft and Das Goetheanum, as well as leaflets, appeals and announcements. In contrast to the first and second editions, the other essays have also been arranged in chronological order rather than thematically. The French first printing of the article Staatspolitik und Menschheitspolitik is included for the first time.

The Renewal of the Social Organism (1985)

The articles presented in this volume were written during 1919 and 1920. In the Collected Edition of Rudolf Steiner's works, the volume containing the German texts is entitled, Aufsätze Über die Dreigliederung des sozialen organismus und zur Zeitlage 1915–1921 (Vol. 24 in the Bibliographic Survey, 1961.). They were translated from the German by E. Bowen-Wedgewood and Ruth Mariott; the translation was revised by Frederick Amrine. The publication of the printed volume was made possible by a grant from the Dietrich V. Asten Memorial Fund.


Additional Documents on the Threefold Social Organism

A collection of the remaining previously untranslated articles not included in the above volume, The Renewal of the Social Organism.


Spiritual Life, Civil Rights, Industrial Economy

A single essay appearing originally in the third issue of The Social Future, the journal for Swiss League for the Threefold Order). In this form it is probable that a large number of English readers for the first time encountered the proposals by which alone, in Dr. Rudolf Steiner's judgment, the civilized countries of the world can grapple hopefully with the political, economic, and social problems, the solution of which seems at present beyond the power of every one of them alike. A later translation appeared in The Renewal of the Social Organism above.


Capital and Credit

This single essay first appeared in The Threefold Commonwealth, London, Volume 1, 1921, and then in Anthroposophical Quarterly, 1927, Volume 2, Number 3, Michaelmas. The translator is unknown. A later translation appeared in The Renewal of the Social Organism above.

Aufsätze uber die Dreigliederung des sozialen Organismus

Den Kern dieses Bandes bilden Zeitschriftenaufsätze aus den Jahren 1919 - 1921, die Rudolf Steiner noch selbst unter dem Titel “In Ausführung der Dreigliederung des sozialen Organismus” als Buch herausgegeben hatte. Sie beleuchten sozialistische Theorien, den Marxismus,die weltgeschichtlichen Ereignisse und Begriffsbildungen dieser für die weitere Entwicklung so entscheidend gewordenen Jahre.

Andere Beiträge behandeln die Anwendung der Dreigliederungsidee im praktischen Leben. Ergänzend sind Aufsätze aus der Zeit des Weltkrieges hinzugenommen, ferner Artikel aus Tageszeitungen, Aufrufe, Memoranden usw., in denen sich die “Dreigliederungsbewegung” spiegelt.