To: <anthroposophy_tomorrow@yahoogroups.com>
References: <20040312014912.79567.qmail@web14426.mail.yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [anthroposophy_tomorrow] To Peter
Date: Thu, 11 Mar 2004 23:43:08 -0500

Detlef writes:
"In 1906, Steiner distanced himself from the theosophical root-race concept"

Peter Staudenmaier:
Gosh, what word do you suppose he used?

Daniel:
I don't know Peter. What word did he use?
Do you think he really distanced himself from the theosophical root-race concept?
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Detlef writes:
"He seems to have no knowledge of the fact that I have read quite a bit of Blavatsky"

Peter Staudenmaier:
It's a shame you never got around to The Secret Doctrine.

Daniel:
Peter, how do you know that Detlef never got to the Secret Doctrine? Just curious?
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Detlef writes:
"PS cannot (or does not want to) keep two distinct concepts apart."

Peter Staudenmaier:
They aren't two distinct concepts. Your arguments on this make as little sense as your arguments on the "nichts weniger" passage.

Daniel:
It seemed to make sense to me. Would it help you if I tried to explain it to you? Or you could tell me right now that you have already made up your mind on this and will never change it, and save me the trouble.
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Detlef writes:
"Steiner did indeed also use the word "Hauptrasse" synonymously for both these concepts."

Peter Staudenmaier:
Amazing that anthroposophist translators would do the same thing, huh?

Daniel:
And what about he question of context? Do you think it is possible to determine the speaker's meaning from context?
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Detlef writes:
"Anyone acquainted with the theosophical concept of "root-race" knows there are SEVEN root-races"

Peter Staudenmaier:
Anyone who hasn't read The Secret Doctrine. Blavatsky referred to five root races and to seven root races. That isn't surprising, since two of the seven don't exist yet. Hence the five root races that both Blavatsky and Steiner discuss. Is all this math a little too much for you, Detlef?

Daniel:
Peter, you are not making sense. There are seven Root Races in every Round, according to Blavatsky. With seven Rounds in every Globe, that makes 49 Root Races in every Globe. We are in the fourth Round of the fourth Globe, so that makes 168 Root Races behind us, and more ahead.

The simple fact is that neither in Blavatsky nor in Steiner do biological race and Root Race correspond. There are 5 biological races, and 168 Root Races in the past. In the current Globe there are 25 Root Races behind us, and we are in the middle of the 26th. In the current Round, we happen to be in the middle of the 5th Root Race, with four behind us. Even and especially in this Round, biological race and Root Race do not correspond. Try reading some Blavatsky before you heap your distain upon Detlef. I expect someone of your intellectual pretentions to be able discern this type of thing.

Daniel Hindes

PS: You can get the whole of The Secret Doctrine online at www.blavatsky.com But try reading it before pretending to mastry of its contents.

This exchange continues.