Occult Science
GA 13
Preface, Seventh to Fifteenth Edition
In this new edition of An Outline of Occult Science, I have almost entirely reshaped the first chapter, “The Character of Occult Science.” I believe that, as a result, there will now be less cause for the misunderstandings I saw arising from the earlier wording of this chapter. From many sides I could hear, “Other sciences offer proofs; what here is offered as science says simply, ‘Occult Science states this or that.’ ” It is quite natural for such prejudice to arise, since the proofs of supersensible cognition cannot obtrude themselves upon us with the exposition as is the case with the exposition of relationships of sense-perceptible reality. I have, however, sought, by means of a revision of the first chapter of this book, to make clearer than I seem to have succeeded in doing in the earlier editions, that we have to contend here merely with prejudice.—In the other chapters I have attempted, through amplifications, to elaborate some items of my presentation more clearly. Throughout the entire book I have taken pains to make numerous changes in the wording of the content, which seemed to me necessary after renewed experience of the subject matter.
RUDOLF STEINER
Berlin, May 1920.