This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1914 edition. Excerpt: ... II HAECKEL AND HIS OPPONENTS1 Authorised Translation from the German by Bertram Keightley, M.A. (Cantab.) PREFACE I Am convinced that my work, The Philosophy of Freedom, published some five years ago, gives the outline of a worldconception which is in complete harmony with the stupendous results of the natural science of our time. I am also conscious that I did not intentionally bring about this harmony. My road was quite independent of that which natural science follows. From this independence of my own way 1 Published by J. C. C. Bruns' Verlag, Minden i. W., 1900. of looking at things in regard to the province of knowledge that is dominant in our day, and from its simultaneous, complete agreement therewith, I believe myself entitled to draw my justification for presenting the position of that monumental representative of the scientific mode of thought, Ernst Haeckel, in the intellectual battle of our time. Doubtless there are to-day many who feel the need for clearing up matters with regard to natural science. This need can best be satisfied by penetrating deeply into the ideas of that seeker into nature who has most unreservedly drawn the full conclusions of scientific premises. I desire to address myself, in this little book, to those who share with me a like need in this respect. RUDOLF STEINER. Berlin, January 1900. I Goethe has given glorious expression, in his book upon Winkelmann, to the feeling which a man has when he contemplates his position within the world: "When the healthy nature of man works as a whole, when he feels himself in the world as in a great, beautiful, worthy, and valuable whole, when harmonious contentment yields him pure, free rapture, then would the universe, could it but feel itself, burst forth into...