Original German term: Demokratie
Plain English
Steiner saw democracy as essential in the sphere of rights, law, and political equality.
Modern Translation
Democracy belongs where all adults meet as equal citizens. It is the right principle for law, civil rights, public power, and shared political decisions.
Why It Matters
This is important because Steiner’s social thought separates society into cultural life, rights life, and economic life. Democracy is vital in the rights sphere, but he did not think every part of life should be run by majority vote.
For Beginners
In plain terms, people should vote on common rights. They should not vote on whether a scientist’s discovery is true, how an artist must paint, or what a teacher’s living relationship to a child should be.
Important Context
Steiner’s social ideas are often misunderstood politically. He supported democratic equality in law and rights while also arguing that education, culture, and spiritual life need independence from political control.