Lucifer and Ahriman
Man's Responsibility for the Earth
On-line since: 31st January, 2010
By Rudolf Steiner
Translated by D. S. Osmond
GA#'s 191 and 193
We live in critical, apocalyptic times. In these lectures, given just
after the end of the First World War and in the midst of trying to effect the
social-political life of his times with the movement for a threefold social
order, Rudolf Steiner focuses on the vital task of developing a right
orientation toward the spirit: a free spiritual life. With great compassion
and understanding he shows, in telling examples, how humanity must walk a
conscious middle path between the two “tempting” powers of
Lucifer and Ahriman. He tells of the incarnation of Lucifer, in the third
millennium BCE, from which flowed not only the wisdom of paganism but also
the intellectual consciousness we enjoy today. Ahriman is shown to be
approaching humanity through phenomena such as materialism, nationalism,
and literalism in preparation for his incarnation in the millennium now
opening. It must not be thought, however, that these two powers work apart:
on the contrary, they work more and more together. Our task is to hold them
in balance, continually permeating the one with the other. Doing this
requires a new form of conscious spirituality.
Five lectures given by Rudolf Steiner in November, 1919 Authorised
translation from shorthand reports unrevised by the lecturer.
The original German texts of these lectures can be found in the
Collected Edition of Rudolf Steiner's works under the titles:
“Soziales Verstandniss aus geisteswissenschaftlicher Erkenntnis”
and
“Der innere Aspekt des sozialen Ratsels. Luziferische Vergangenheit
and ahrimanische Zukunft” Nos.
191 and 193 in the Bibliographical Survey, 1961. They are presented here
with the permission of the Rudolf Steiner Nachlassverwaltung,
Dornach, Switzerland.
Copyright © 1976
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