Lecture 4 of the Agriculture Course
Posted: 11 Nov 2014, 15:48
On the Theme of the Agriculture Course: Open Secrets in the Composition of the Fourth Lecture
Malcolm Gardner
In agriculture we are indeed fortunate that we can usually let our products do our talking for us. But this
works only for a while. Sooner or later we find ourselves in the position of having to explain—either to
ourselves or to others—what it is that we are doing, or not doing. And what we need then is to be able to
articulate the inner logic of our actions, which in this case means the inner logic of our biodynamic practices. If
we are not able to do this, our will gradually becomes lamed, our circle of friends gets smaller and smaller, and
our business inevitably suffers.
Today, therefore, I am going to try to show how the inner logic of the fourth lecture of the Agriculture
Course—which is in many respects the central lecture of this Course—how this inner logic can be revealed by
an active, questioning method of reading that pays special attention to the composition of the lecture. I am not
proposing to answer every question about this challenging lecture, but I am going to share some questions that
have proved fruitful for me over the last 25 years, and which I hope will also stimulate you to further
discoveries of your own.
I am going to assume that most of you here have read the Agriculture Course at least once—if not many
times—and hence are generally familiar with its content. But just to be sure … I am going to immediately offer
you a slide with an outline of the main topics in the fourth lecture: ...
Malcolm Gardner
In agriculture we are indeed fortunate that we can usually let our products do our talking for us. But this
works only for a while. Sooner or later we find ourselves in the position of having to explain—either to
ourselves or to others—what it is that we are doing, or not doing. And what we need then is to be able to
articulate the inner logic of our actions, which in this case means the inner logic of our biodynamic practices. If
we are not able to do this, our will gradually becomes lamed, our circle of friends gets smaller and smaller, and
our business inevitably suffers.
Today, therefore, I am going to try to show how the inner logic of the fourth lecture of the Agriculture
Course—which is in many respects the central lecture of this Course—how this inner logic can be revealed by
an active, questioning method of reading that pays special attention to the composition of the lecture. I am not
proposing to answer every question about this challenging lecture, but I am going to share some questions that
have proved fruitful for me over the last 25 years, and which I hope will also stimulate you to further
discoveries of your own.
I am going to assume that most of you here have read the Agriculture Course at least once—if not many
times—and hence are generally familiar with its content. But just to be sure … I am going to immediately offer
you a slide with an outline of the main topics in the fourth lecture: ...