Body

The body (Greek: σώμα soma; German: Leib) is that fundamental member which gives a being, especially a human being, its characteristic form or shape.

„«Body» is meant to denote that which gives «shape», «form» to a being of any kind. One should not confuse the term «body» with sensuous bodily form. In the sense meant in this writing, the term «body» can also be used for that which takes shape as the soul and spirit.“ (Lit.:GA 9, p. 38f)

The body also enables the human being to perceive the world through the sense organs:

„By body is meant here that by which the things of his environment reveal themselves to man ...“ (Lit.:GA 9, p. 26f)

When one speaks of the body, one does not as a rule mean merely the physical body, for the body abandoned by life is the corpse, but one means the living body, that is, the connection between the physical body and the etheric body, which is never completely dissolved during the life of man on Earth. In a broader sense, the astral body, the bearer of desires and sensations, must also be added to the bodily existence. Rudolf Steiner refers to the astral body as the sentient soul that is united with the soul body. The latter enables, on the one hand, the stimuli received by the sense organs to be internalised into soul experience and, on the other hand, the inner soul drives to be translated into bodily movements.

Literature

• Peter Heusser, Peter Selg: Das Leib-Seele-Problem: Zur Entwicklung eines geistgemäßen Menschenbildes in der Medizin des 20. Jahrhunderts, Verlag des Ita Wegman Instituts 2011, ISBN 978-3905919295
• Rudolf Steiner: Theosophie, GA 9 (2002), Kapitel Die leibliche Wesenheit des Menschen, ISBN 3-7274-0090-0
• Rudolf Steiner: Allgemeine Menschenkunde als Grundlage der Pädagogik, GA 293 (1992), ISBN 3-7274-2930-5 English: rsarchive.org German: pdf pdf(2) html mobi epub archive.org
• Rudolf Steiner: Neugestaltung des sozialen Organismus, GA 330 (1983), ISBN 3-7274-3300-0 English: rsarchive.org German: pdf pdf(2) html mobi epub archive.org

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.