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Rudolf Steiner e.Lib
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Fall of the Spirits of Darkness
Rudolf Steiner e.Lib Document
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Fall of the Spirits of Darkness
On-line since: 15th January, 2008
Fall of the Spirits of Darkness
Rudolf Steiner e.Lib Document
Lectures Section
Fourteen lectures given at Dornach, Switzerland in September and October
of 1917. From the lecture series entitled:
The Spiritual Background of the External World ...
In the Complete Edition of the works of Rudolf Steiner the original German
text is published with the title:
Die Spirituellen Hintergruende der Aeusseren Welt.
Der Sturz der Geister der Finsternis.
Geistige Wesen und ihre Wirkungen.
(No. 177 in the Bibliographic Survey, 1961).
By Rudolf Steiner
Translated by Anna R. Meuss
Bn/GA 177
In these 14 lectures, given at the end of 1917 following four years of
war in Europe, Steiner speaks on the complex spiritual forces behind
the Great War, humanity's attempts to build theoretically perfect
social orders, and the many divisions and disruptions that would
continue to occur on earth in our time. Humanity in general was asleep
to the fact that fallen spirits, cast out of the spiritual worlds, had
become intensely active on earth. This manifested particularly in
people's thinking and in their perception of the world about them. But
the defeat and fall of these spirits also ensured that a science of
the spirit would always be available to humanity.
These lectures given at Dornach, Switzerland in September and October
of 1917, are from the lecture series entitled:
The Spiritual Background of the External World ...
In the Complete Edition of the works of Rudolf Steiner the original German
text is published with the title:
Die Spirituellen Hintergruende der Aeusseren Welt.
Der Sturz der Geister der Finsternis.
Geistige Wesen und ihre Wirkungen.
(No. 177 in the Bibliographic Survey, 1961).
The original translation was from shorthand reports unrevised by the
lecturer. Translates by Anna R. Meuss, with cover artwork by Olivia
Olsen. Published here with the kind permission of the Rudolf Steiner
Nachlassverwaltung, Dornach, Switzerland.
Copyright © 1993
This e.Text edition is provided with the cooperation of:
The Rudolf Steiner Press
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| Cover Sheet |
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| Contents |
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| Description of Contents |
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| Introduction |
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Lecture 1: | THE DRIVING FORCES BEHIND EUROPE'S WAR |
September 29, 1917 |
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True insight into the underlying causes of the Great War show that
they are spiritual in origin — this must be understood and
acted upon or the chaos would continue.
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Lecture 2: | HUMANITY'S STRUGGLE FOR MORALITY |
September 30, 1917 |
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Humanity labours under illusions based in the past — true
insight requires a morality which is difficult to achieve but
which must become part of human life.
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Lecture 3: | THE QUEST FOR A PERFECT SOCIAL ORDER |
October 01, 1917 |
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Efforts to create a perfect society based on non-spiritual impulses
cannot succeed — yet a true spiritual-scientific viewpoint will
not find easy acceptance.
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Lecture 4: | THE ELEMENTAL SPIRITS OF BIRTH AND DEATH |
October 06, 1917 |
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Humanity must accept that destructive spiritual beings — who
previously held a rightful place — have entered into everyday
life, bringing disruption and division.
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Lecture 5: | CHANGES IN HUMANITY'S SPIRITUAL MAKE-UP |
October 07, 1917 |
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The evolution of humanity means a gradual inner separation of the
spiritual and physical, something that must be comprehended clearly
and incisively.
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Lecture 6: | THE NEW SPIRITUALITY |
October 08, 1917 |
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Fruitful political ideas will arise if the previously separated
realms of human thought and true spiritual impulses are bridged.
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Lecture 7: | WORKING FROM SPIRITUAL REALITY |
October 12, 1917 |
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Thinking, and subsequent action, must be based on actual even-day
reality and not on abstract intellectual theory.
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Lecture 8: | ABSTRACTION AND REALITY |
October 13, 1917 |
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Concepts based on reality hold within them the active inner life
which is also present in everyday outer life.
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Lecture 9: | THE BATTLE BETWEEN MICHAEL AND ‘THE DRAGON’ |
October 14, 1917 |
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Ahrimanic beings — defeated by the Michaelic hosts —
now influence human beings, especially through materialistic thinking.
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Lecture 10: | THE INFLUENCE OF THE BACKWARD ANGELS |
October 20, 1917 |
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The backward angels make themselves at home in human heads but can
find no place in heads filled with true spiritual wisdom.
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Lecture 11: | RECOGNIZING THE INNER HUMAN BEING |
October 21, 1917 |
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People's inner soul life and their connection with the Cosmos
must be taken into consideration by future scientists, educators
and others.
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Lecture 12: | THE SPIRITS OF LIGHT AND THE SPIRITS OF DARKNESS |
October 26, 1917 |
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Until 1879 the Spirits of Light promoted hereditary blood bonds
and the Spirits of Darkness the urge for independence — then this
was reversed.
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Lecture 13: | THE FALLEN SPIRITS' INFLUENCE IN THE WORLD |
October 27, 1917 |
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The fallen spirits now work on earth, but their defeat in
‘the heavens’ meant a science of the spirit became
available to humanity.
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Lecture 14: | INTO THE FUTURE |
October 28, 1917 |
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If humanity becomes fully conscious of spiritual realities —
especially the influence of the Spirits of Darkness — then
right attitudes and activities will manifest.
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| Notes |
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| Back Cover |
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Last Modified: 02-Nov-2024
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