Abstract. This paper is a philosophical consideration of the understanding of thinking as a mental activity. It starts by noting that some teachers claim to observe the decrease of thinking abilities among young people today. Apart from the questions of how to establish this as a fact and the possible empirical causes behind it, it is also important to consider the more basic question of what thinking really is. Heidegger deals with this question in his later philosophy; another, less well known philosopher dealing with it is Rudolf Steiner. For Heidegger, some pre-Socratic Greek philosophers exemplify genuine thinking, appreciating the meaning of Being and transcending the subject-object dualism. But this kind of philosophy was soon replaced by the onto-theological approach, in which Being is diminished and objectified. Hence, according to Heidegger, we still have to learn to think. Commentators on Heidegger point to the similarity between his approach to thinking and that of various mystical teachings, such as those of Meister Eckhart or Zen Buddhism. Steiner on his side also claimed that we do not know what it means to really think. Steiner was however more outspoken and consistent in his spiritual and meditative approach to thinking, claiming that only through meditative practice can we directly experience the nature of thinking. However, the present day materialistic explanations of thinking as originating in neurological brain processes of a purely biochemical nature, stand in clear opposition to these or any other spiritual understanding of thinking.

Drawing upon Heidegger (somewhat) and Steiner (mostly) we argue against the materialistic understanding of thinking as misguided and jumping to unwarranted conclusions. We also argue that the scientistic and materialistic understanding of thinking widespread today may be one of the reasons behind the reduction of thinking abilities among young people. As is well known, Rudolf Steiner was the founder of Steiner Waldorf education, which is based on a spiritual understanding of the human being. The paper ends with describing some of the elements of Steiner Waldorf education which are intended to promote the development of living, creative thinking.