• piccolo@sh.itjust.works
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    1 day ago

    His belief that race and ethnicity are transient and superficial, and not essential aspects of the individual,[313] was partly rooted in his conviction that each individual reincarnates in a variety of different peoples and races over successive lives, and that each of us thus bears within him or herself the heritage of many races and peoples.

    He presented explicitly hierarchical views of the spiritual evolution of different races,[315] including—at times, and inconsistently—portraying the white race, European culture or Germanic culture as representing the high point of human evolution as of the early 20th century, although he did describe them as destined to be superseded by future cultures.

    Sounds like he held racist ideals, that were very influenced by scientific racism. But also contradicting himself as his other ideals of human individuality clashed with his own racism, so at times he ‘seemed opposed’ to racism.

    • waz@feddit.uk
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      1 day ago

      I read all of the wiki article, not just the quoted parts. But I’ve decided to pick this part out and say that out of context of the rest of the article, what would you conclude

      Toward the end of his life, Steiner predicted that race will rapidly lose any remaining significance for future generations.[313] In Steiner’s view, culture is universal, and explicitly not ethnically based, and he vehemently criticized imperialism.[317]

      In the context of his ethical individualism, Steiner considered “race, folk, ethnicity and gender” to be general, describable categories into which individuals may choose to fit, but from which free human beings can and will liberate themselves