II. Introductory Explanations Concerning the Nature of Man

Man therefore has the physical body in common with the mineral, the etheric body in common with the plants, and the astral body in common with the animal. He alone has an Ego, and this raises him above the others. In man we find, as it were, the essence of everything which we see spread out round about us. In fact, a microcosm! We must therefore first learn to know our environment, if we wish to know man.