Occult Science
GA 13
Translated by Steiner Online Library
Preface (1920)
[ 1 ] For this new edition of my "Secret Science in Outline" I have almost completely redesigned the first section "Character of Secret Science". I believe that this will now give less cause for the misunderstandings that I have seen arise from the earlier version of this section. I could hear from many sides: Other sciences prove; what passes itself off here as science simply says: secret science establishes this or that. Such a prejudice naturally arises, since the proof of supersensible knowledge cannot impose itself through the presentation in the same way as in the presentation of the connections of sensible reality. However, by reworking the first section of this book, I wanted to make it clearer than I seem to have succeeded in doing in earlier editions that we are only dealing with a prejudice. In the other parts of the book I have tried to bring out more clearly some of what is presented by adding to the content. Throughout the book, I have endeavored to make changes to the content in numerous places, which made it seem necessary for me to relive the content.
Berlin, May 1920
Rudolf Steiner