Biological dynamic farming — an occult form of alternative agriculture?
Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 7 (2) (1994)
| Abstract | An analysis of the theory of biodynamic farming is presented. The founder of biological dynamic agriculture, the Austrian Rudolf Steiner, Ph.D., (1861–1925), introduced methods of preparation and use of eight compounds forming the nucleus of his agricultural theory. His instructions were based on insights and inner visions from spiritualistic exercises and not on agricultural experiments. His purpose was to show mankind a form of agriculture that enables not only the production of healthy foods but also the achievement of harmonious interactions in agriculture and a spiritual development of mankind through “cosmic forces” captured in the foods. However, many of his statements are not provable simply because scientifically clear hypotheses cannot be made as his descriptions were unclear and not stringent. Those predictions that can be tested scientifically have been found to be incorrect. It was concluded that Steiner's instructions are occult and dogmatic and cannot contribute to the development of alternative or sustainable agriculture. | |||||||||
| Keywords | No keywords specified (fix it) | |||||||||
| Categories | ||||||||||
| Options |
|
|||||||||
Download options| PhilPapers Archive |
Upload a copy of this paper Check publisher's policy on self-archival Papers currently archived: 5,679 |
| External links |
 |
| Through your library | Configure |
Similar books and articlesMary K. Hendrickson & Harvey S. James (2005). The Ethics of Constrained Choice: How the Industrialization of Agriculture Impacts Farming and Farmer Behavior. Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 18 (3).
Paul B. Thompson (2001). The Reshaping of Conventional Farming: A North American Perspective. Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 14 (2):217-229.
Lene Hansen, Egon Noe & Katrine Højring (2006). Nature and Nature Values in Organic Agriculture. An Analysis of Contested Concepts and Values Among Different Actors in Organic Farming. Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 19 (2).
J. Baird Callicott (1990). The Metaphysical Transition in Farming: From the Newtonian-Mechanical to the Eltonian Ecological. Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 3 (1):36-49.
Jeffrey Burkhardt (1989). The Morality Behind Sustainability. Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 2 (2):113-128.
Egbert Hardeman & Henk Jochemsen (2012). Are There Ideological Aspects to the Modernization of Agriculture? Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 25 (5):657-674.
A. Whitney Sanford (2011). Growing Stories From India: Religion and the Fate of Agriculture. University Press of Kentucky.
Jeffrey Burkhardt (1988). Crisis, Argument, and Agriculture. Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 1 (2):123-138.
Rajiv K. Sinha (1997). Embarking on the Second Green Revolution for Sustainable Agriculture in India: A Judicious Mix of Traditional Wisdom and Modern Knowledge in Ecological Farming. Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 10 (2):183-197.
Michael C. Appleby (2005). Sustainable Agriculture is Humane, Humane Agriculture is Sustainable. Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 18 (3).
Analytics
Monthly downloads |
Added to index2009-01-28Total downloads58 ( #16,866 of 549,087 )Recent downloads (6 months)1 ( #63,317 of 549,087 )How can I increase my downloads? |
My notes
Discussion
