Breughel : The Wedding Party
The Threefold Social Idea
Previous in series : Introducing Threefold
The threefold social idea, also known as the threefold social order, was introduced by Rudolf Steiner in 1917, in the depths of the First World War - a war catastrophic for European society in multiple ways.
The “threefold” perspective on society considers the most basic features of social life, identifying the three key areas of activity as economic life, political-legal or rights life and the realm of human spiritual and cultural life. It explores the nature of each, and describes the relationships - and particularly, the boundaries - among them that create optimal health in society. These basic, recurring features of human social life are :
- Economic life. This includes the range of activities by which we meet our bodily and physical needs of life. The work of the economic sphere includes the transformation of the substances of the earth into products ; their circulation and distribution where needed ; and the providing of other needed and/or related services. Economic life addresses the common needs of all human beings. The meeting of these needs requires creativity to improve and distribute materials received from nature, on the one hand ; and on the other, an attitude of brotherhood - of cooperation, and mutual goodwill.
Abundance - that is, full and optimal meeting of human needs through economic life - arises when creative effort is applied to natural materials, enhancing their value ; to distribution, installation, maintenance and other forms of service in economic life, so that they becomes optimally effective and efficient. Appropriate prices for goods, income for those who labor, the financing of initiatives and philanthropy, may be established through intelligent communication, carried out in the spirit of mutual benefit mentioned. Not to be overlooked in these communications are those among consumers about their common needs, and between consumers, distributors, producers etc.
Leadership in the economic realm belongs naturally to the person of broad experience in a particular field, and in economic life generally ; and of high competence to apply this effectively.
- Spiritual and cultural life. To this realm belong all aspects of life that flow from the gifts (that is, talents and abilities) of individual human beings, and which benefit society. Such gifts include those of inventors and scientists, artists, teachers, clergy and spiritual teachers, and those in the healing professions. The abilities of those active in the other spheres of life - lawyers, judges, merchants and other business people - are also cultivated in the spiritual cultural life, in the branch appropriate to each specialty.
This sphere of life includes, but is not limited to professional work. The humbler arts of preparing foods or being a parent also belong to this realm of life, as do physical abilities like strength, dexterity and agility. Every human being has potentials that can be developed, and can benefit and enrich society.
The key condition necessary for spiritual cultural life to thrive, is freedom : the freedom of individuals to develop, unfold and express their abilities, without hindrance ; and the free choice of those who make use of their abilities or services.
Leadership in the spiritual cultural life belongs naturally to the person of exceptional talent and ability in that area of activity ; who applies these to something of which the world has need.
- Political life, also known as rights life. Rights life establishes protections, boundaries and rules among people ; such that one person or group does not compromise the freedom, safety or well being of another. The essential principal of rights life is equality, so that the needs of all citizens for such protections are represented ; and so that no person or group may injure, harm or dominate another, or cause it serious loss.
Rights life includes the identifying of problems in need of correction in society ; establishment of rules, laws and penalties ; the activities of police, courts, and eventually, the military. Leadership in the rights sphere optimally rests in persons of exceptional integrity and empathy, who are also highly world-competent – i.e., skilled and fluent in the ways of contemporary life.
The tasks of rights life include establishing rights, rules, protections, penalties and enforcement necessary in economic and spiritual cultural life, but do not extend further - e.g. to control over these spheres of life, or their areas of activity. Likewise rules and judgments in the rights sphere cannot simply be fixed or permanent, but must also be adapted to changing circumstances in society.
Interaction Among the Three Spheres
Of special interest, also, are the relationships among the spheres, and how they interact to support each other. The possibilities for positive interaction are many ; for instance
- Limited intervention by the rights sphere in the economic sphere, to the extent of preventing or correcting abuse of rights, safety or well being of groups and individuals in this sphere of activities. To this belong, for instance, rectification of harmful or coercive working conditions, fraud, unsafe products and practices, and damage to the environment - physical, financial, etc - common to all.
- Support "without strings" of the spiritual cultural sphere by the economic sphere, through gifting or financing of projects of benefit to society overall, or some particular aspect of it.
- Preparation of healthy, educated, and otherwise well prepared individuals by the spiritual cultural sphere, to the benefit of both the rights and economic spheres.
On the other hand there is also potential for disruption or interference by one sphere into the working of another. How might the three realms of life, rights, economic and spiritual cultural, possibly undermine each other's best functioning, and frustrate the unfolding of each other's strengths ? I'll explore this in the next post in this series.
Article by : Jeff Smith RN (Retired)
Next in series : Rights Life Today
Previous in series : Introducing Threefold
The threefold social idea, also known as the threefold social order, was introduced by Rudolf Steiner in 1917, in the depths of the First World War - a war catastrophic for European society in multiple ways.
The “threefold” perspective on society considers the most basic features of social life, identifying the three key areas of activity as economic life, political-legal or rights life and the realm of human spiritual and cultural life. It explores the nature of each, and describes the relationships - and particularly, the boundaries - among them that create optimal health in society. These basic, recurring features of human social life are :
- Economic life. This includes the range of activities by which we meet our bodily and physical needs of life. The work of the economic sphere includes the transformation of the substances of the earth into products ; their circulation and distribution where needed ; and the providing of other needed and/or related services. Economic life addresses the common needs of all human beings. The meeting of these needs requires creativity to improve and distribute materials received from nature, on the one hand ; and on the other, an attitude of brotherhood - of cooperation, and mutual goodwill.
Abundance - that is, full and optimal meeting of human needs through economic life - arises when creative effort is applied to natural materials, enhancing their value ; to distribution, installation, maintenance and other forms of service in economic life, so that they becomes optimally effective and efficient. Appropriate prices for goods, income for those who labor, the financing of initiatives and philanthropy, may be established through intelligent communication, carried out in the spirit of mutual benefit mentioned. Not to be overlooked in these communications are those among consumers about their common needs, and between consumers, distributors, producers etc.
Leadership in the economic realm belongs naturally to the person of broad experience in a particular field, and in economic life generally ; and of high competence to apply this effectively.
- Spiritual and cultural life. To this realm belong all aspects of life that flow from the gifts (that is, talents and abilities) of individual human beings, and which benefit society. Such gifts include those of inventors and scientists, artists, teachers, clergy and spiritual teachers, and those in the healing professions. The abilities of those active in the other spheres of life - lawyers, judges, merchants and other business people - are also cultivated in the spiritual cultural life, in the branch appropriate to each specialty.
This sphere of life includes, but is not limited to professional work. The humbler arts of preparing foods or being a parent also belong to this realm of life, as do physical abilities like strength, dexterity and agility. Every human being has potentials that can be developed, and can benefit and enrich society.
The key condition necessary for spiritual cultural life to thrive, is freedom : the freedom of individuals to develop, unfold and express their abilities, without hindrance ; and the free choice of those who make use of their abilities or services.
Leadership in the spiritual cultural life belongs naturally to the person of exceptional talent and ability in that area of activity ; who applies these to something of which the world has need.
- Political life, also known as rights life. Rights life establishes protections, boundaries and rules among people ; such that one person or group does not compromise the freedom, safety or well being of another. The essential principal of rights life is equality, so that the needs of all citizens for such protections are represented ; and so that no person or group may injure, harm or dominate another, or cause it serious loss.
Rights life includes the identifying of problems in need of correction in society ; establishment of rules, laws and penalties ; the activities of police, courts, and eventually, the military. Leadership in the rights sphere optimally rests in persons of exceptional integrity and empathy, who are also highly world-competent – i.e., skilled and fluent in the ways of contemporary life.
The tasks of rights life include establishing rights, rules, protections, penalties and enforcement necessary in economic and spiritual cultural life, but do not extend further - e.g. to control over these spheres of life, or their areas of activity. Likewise rules and judgments in the rights sphere cannot simply be fixed or permanent, but must also be adapted to changing circumstances in society.
Interaction Among the Three Spheres
Of special interest, also, are the relationships among the spheres, and how they interact to support each other. The possibilities for positive interaction are many ; for instance
- Limited intervention by the rights sphere in the economic sphere, to the extent of preventing or correcting abuse of rights, safety or well being of groups and individuals in this sphere of activities. To this belong, for instance, rectification of harmful or coercive working conditions, fraud, unsafe products and practices, and damage to the environment - physical, financial, etc - common to all.
- Support "without strings" of the spiritual cultural sphere by the economic sphere, through gifting or financing of projects of benefit to society overall, or some particular aspect of it.
- Preparation of healthy, educated, and otherwise well prepared individuals by the spiritual cultural sphere, to the benefit of both the rights and economic spheres.
On the other hand there is also potential for disruption or interference by one sphere into the working of another. How might the three realms of life, rights, economic and spiritual cultural, possibly undermine each other's best functioning, and frustrate the unfolding of each other's strengths ? I'll explore this in the next post in this series.
Article by : Jeff Smith RN (Retired)
Next in series : Rights Life Today
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