The Rudolf Steiner Archive

Theosophy begins by describing the threefold nature of the human being: the body, or sense-world; the soul, or inner world; and the spirit, or universal world of cosmic archetypes. A profound discussion of reincarnation and karma follows, concluding with a description of the soul's journey through regions of the supersensible world after death. The book closes with an outline of the path to higher knowledge.

This edition is a translation of the German text (28th edition of 1961) entitled, Theosophie. Einfuerung in uebersinnliche Welterkenntnis und Menschenbestimmung, in the Complete Centenary Edition of the works of Rudolf Steiner (Vol. 9 in the Bibliographical Survey, 1961), by M. Cotterell and A. P. Shepherd. It is presented here with the kind permission of the Rudolf Steiner Nachlassverwaltung, Dornach, Switzerland.

• Note on the Title
• Preface to the Revised Edition
• Introduction

1. The Nature of Man
• The Corporal Being of Man
• The Soul-being of Man
• The Spiritual Being of Man
• Body, Soul and Spirit
2. Re-embodiment of the Spirit and Destiny
3. The Three Worlds
• The Soul-world
• The Soul in the Soul-world after Death
• The Spiritland
• The Spirit in the Spiritland after Death
• The Physical World and its Connection with the Soul-world and Spiritland
• Thought-forms and the Human Aura
4. The Path of Knowledge

• Addenda