The word is from anthropos - human being, and sophia -wisdom and so literally means the wisdom of the human being. It is the name given by Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) for the philosophy based on his spiritual scientific research, the philosophy that underlies Waldorf education, biodynamic gardening, anthroposophical medicine and architecture and many other areas of life that were greatly influenced by Steiner's work. He was a scholar of both the humanities and sciences; he was also an educator, architect, philosopher, artist, the leading scholar of Goethe, and a prolific writer with some 360 volumes of writings, books and lectures to his credit. He was also a person of enormous spiritual gifts. And, as one biographer noted, "he swam unapologetically against the stream, affirming the primacy of the spirit against the ruling dogma of materialism." For more information about Rudolf Steiner and Anthroposophy please check out the following links: Why Waldorf Works and Anthroposophical Society in America.