What is in a Name?

52 Weeks of Steiner – Week 38  

If I had my way, I would give anthroposophy a new name every day to prevent people from hanging on to its literal meaning, from translating it from the Greek, so they can form judgments accordingly. It is immaterial what name we attach to what is being done here. The only thing that matters is that everything we do here is focused on life’s realities and that we never lose sight of them.”

Rudolf Steiner, The Child’s Changing Consciousness
Lecture One, April 15, 1923 GA 306

If I had MY way, Waldorf education would have a different name each day to prevent people from hanging onto what has come before so they can form judgements based on life’s realities (Ha, see what I did there?). The education needed for children in 1923 is different from the education children need in 2024. Fundamentally, they are the same. The picture of human development stays the same, the impulse for supporting this development stays the same, but children need something living from teachers and doing what has been done before just because that is how it was done isn’t an act imbued with life. In essence, I think there is a recapitulation and then an individualization that needs to happen to keep education living.

I struggle with using the term Waldorf in relation to my homeschooling. And I know in the greater scheme of things, it isn’t a big deal, but THE Waldorf School was its own living being, and no other school, child, teacher, administrator, parent or community member will ever have the same needs, individually or collectively, as the those involved in that living school.

I believe the words we use are important. They carry an impulse. Steiner saying that a name is immaterial is quite freeing. Sometimes I think I spend way too long looking for the right word or combination of words, when really, it is the impulse behind my DOING that is important.

Focusing on life’s realities and never losing sight. Meeting needs. That’s what all this is about. It isn’t in a name. It isn’t based on what was done before us. We need to let go of our judgements and step forward with Steiner’s indications in our backpack, holding hands with the present and our eyes on the horizon.

As an aside, I was also reminded of this quote:

I read in a book once that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, but I’ve never been able to believe it. I don’t believe a rose WOULD be as nice if it was called a thistle or a skunk cabbage.” ~ Anne Shirley / Lucy Maud Montgomery

Until next time,
Marina

(This post is part of a weekly serial started on Michaelmas 2023. To see the other entries, please see the post linked HERE and scroll down to the bottom for individual links)