CW 170 The Riddle of Humanity: Lecture 15 (Dornach, 3 September1916) [End of Book] by Rudolf Steiner
Oct 6, 2026 · 41 min · 15 segments
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Oct 6, 2026 · 41 min · 15 segments
The particular details of the things we discussed yesterday are complicated and difficult to follow.
but we can nevertheless come to some general conclusions by reviewing the picture they form as a whole.
No doubt you have already concluded that the twelve senses with which we have become acquainted are not formed solely in accordance with the principles of regular evolutionary progress.
The Aramonic and Luciferic principles have also participated in their development.
From this we can see that it is necessary to be much more objective about these Luciferic and Aramonic elements than is frequently the case, for the simple reason that they have played such a decisive role in the formation of the collective human constitution.
Now we should remind ourselves that Lucifer and Ahriman only create hindrances for human development when they are displaced and appear where they are not supposed to appear.
So it is also easy to imagine that when, as we saw yesterday, the Ahrimanic principle influences the upper end of the series of the senses and the Luciferic principle influences the lower end, they are not acting legitimately and in accordance with the evolutionary roles allotted to them.
And various human aberrations then arise as a consequence.
The aberrations must be possible as otherwise a human being could not determine his path in the cosmos through the use of his own free will.
Finding the right path for our development depends precisely upon learning to maintain our sovereignty against the Aramonic and Luciferic influences.
It depends on constant struggle to maintain our balance between these two powers.
So it is inevitable that the things that only the power of Lucifer and Aramon can give us also make it possible for us to go astray.
Many things would be clarified by a further elucidation of truths such as those that were sketched yesterday, for they contain the key to countless riddles of life which confront present-day humanity.
But it is not possible at present to speak about these consequences, even though they follow from entirely objective, spiritual-scientific considerations, not even in our circles.
The particular details of the things we discussed yesterday are complicated and difficult to follow.
but we can nevertheless come to some general conclusions by reviewing the picture they form as a whole.
No doubt you have already concluded that the twelve senses with which we have become acquainted are not formed solely in accordance with the principles of regular evolutionary progress.
The Aramonic and Luciferic principles have also participated in their development.
From this we can see that it is necessary to be much more objective about these Luciferic and Aramonic elements than is frequently the case, for the simple reason that they have played such a decisive role in the formation of the collective human constitution.
Now we should remind ourselves that Lucifer and Ahriman only create hindrances for human development when they are displaced and appear where they are not supposed to appear.
So it is also easy to imagine that when, as we saw yesterday, the Ahrimanic principle influences the upper end of the series of the senses and the Luciferic principle influences the lower end, they are not acting legitimately and in accordance with the evolutionary roles allotted to them.
And various human aberrations then arise as a consequence.
The aberrations must be possible as otherwise a human being could not determine his path in the cosmos through the use of his own free will.
Finding the right path for our development depends precisely upon learning to maintain our sovereignty against the Aramonic and Luciferic influences.
It depends on constant struggle to maintain our balance between these two powers.
So it is inevitable that the things that only the power of Lucifer and Aramon can give us also make it possible for us to go astray.
Many things would be clarified by a further elucidation of truths such as those that were sketched yesterday, for they contain the key to countless riddles of life which confront present-day humanity.
But it is not possible at present to speak about these consequences, even though they follow from entirely objective, spiritual-scientific considerations, not even in our circles.
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