Seven liberal arts

From AnthroWiki
Philosophia et septem artes liberales, the seven liberal arts. From the Hortus deliciarum of Herrad of Landsberg (12th century)

The seven liberal arts (Latinseptem artes liberales), which were distinguished from the practical arts, the so-called artes mechanicae, as the higher-ranking ones, comprised a systematically ordered canon of seven subjects of study. They were divided into the trivium (three-way) of the linguistically and logically-argumentatively oriented subjects, in which Latin was cultivated as the basic language of science, and the more advanced quadrivium (four-way) of the mathematically oriented subjects. Superficially, the seven subjects of study formed the foundation of the education befitting a 'free man' according to later Roman ideas. In the medieval teaching system, they served as preparation for the actual scientific subjects of theology, jurisprudence and medicine.

Literature

References to the work of Rudolf Steiner follow Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works (CW or GA), Rudolf Steiner Verlag, Dornach/Switzerland, unless otherwise stated.
Email: verlag@steinerverlag.com URL: www.steinerverlag.com.
Index to the Complete Works of Rudolf Steiner - Aelzina Books
A complete list by Volume Number and a full list of known English translations you may also find at Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works
Rudolf Steiner Archive - The largest online collection of Rudolf Steiner's books, lectures and articles in English.
Rudolf Steiner Audio - Recorded and Read by Dale Brunsvold
steinerbooks.org - Anthroposophic Press Inc. (USA)
Rudolf Steiner Handbook - Christian Karl's proven standard work for orientation in Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works for free download as PDF.