Paper short abstract:

While many papers in the panel investigate pedagogical import from Europe to colonial South Asia this paper focuses on the inspiration from South Asian ethical concepts such as reincarnation on one of the most successful progressive educational projects of Europe and beyond - Waldorf pedagogy. Through its links with the global theosophical milieu Waldorf pedagogy was inspired by South Asian spiritual concepts which shaped a pedagogical agenda for educating head, heart and hand of the students and thereby aimed at producing a sense of global solidarity and tolerance.

Paper long abstract:

As a prominent member of the Theosophical Society, German radical reformist Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) was inspired by the society's holistic pedagogical concept that merged Asian spiritual terminology such as reincarnation with modern findings in child education in order to help the new generation to cope with the new era e.g. its rapid urbanization, globalization and world wars. The hope to advance a global consciousness through moral education and thus prevent future violence was of central importance to Waldorf pedagogy. The major platform for progressive educationists from all over the globe such as John Dewey as Maria Montessori which institutionalized these attempts was the New Education Fellowship and its main organ New Education for a New Era founded 1921 by the British theosophist Beatrice Ensor. The paper asks in how far Steiner adopted the pedagogical ideas of the global theosophical network that manifested in the Central Hindu College in Benares (1898) and the St. Christopher School in Letchworth (1915) - the first-ever garden city. Not only the global resources of Steiner's pedagogical ideas but also his hopes for global tolerance through education will be closely examined.