GA 177

The Spiritual Background of the Outer World. The Fall of the Spirits of Darkness. Spiritual Beings and Their Effects, Volume I

Die spirituellen Hintergründe der äußeren Welt. Der Sturz der Geister der Finsternis. Geistige Wesen und ihre Wirkungen, Band I

Fourteen lectures, Dornach 29 September to 28 October 1917 (Cycle B I and Cycle B II).

The central theme of these lectures is the overthrow of the Spirits of Darkness completed by the Archangel Michael in November 1879.

Contents (selection)

On the background of the world catastrophe / The discrepancy between intellectual and moral development of mankind / The striving for earthly perfection as a materialistic illusion / The abandonment of elemental beings hostile to life. The handling of destructive forces by man / The dying of the earth and the human bodies. The necessity of a development of human souls independent of the body / The killing off of the living world of thought by the present intellect / Luther's personality. The Significance of the Karma Idea for Education / Michael's Struggle with the Dragon. The Fall of the Ahrimanic Powers / The Striving of Ahrimanic Beings for the Control of Human Thought / "The Total Labour Contract " by Roman Boos / Effectiveness of the Spirits of Darkness since 1879 / Oswald Marbach / Spiritual Processes in Historical Becoming

Literature

German

• Rudolf Steiner: Die spirituellen Hintergründe der äußeren Welt. Der Sturz der Geister der Finsternis, GA 177 (1999), ISBN 3-7274-1771-4 English: rsarchive.org German: pdf pdf(2) html mobi epub archive.org

References to the work of Rudolf Steiner follow Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works (CW or GA), Rudolf Steiner Verlag, Dornach/Switzerland, unless otherwise stated. Email: verlag@steinerverlag.com URL: www.steinerverlag.com. Index to the Complete Works of Rudolf Steiner - Aelzina Books A complete list by Volume Number and a full list of known English translations you may also find at Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works Rudolf Steiner Archive - The largest online collection of Rudolf Steiner's books, lectures and articles in English. Rudolf Steiner Audio - Recorded and Read by Dale Brunsvold steinerbooks.org - Anthroposophic Press Inc. (USA) Rudolf Steiner Handbook - Christian Karl's proven standard work for orientation in Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works for free download as PDF.