'The Spirits Book' (1857), written by Allan Kardec, is widely regarded as the most important piece of writing in the 'Spiritist' canon. It is the first in a series of five books that Kardec wrote that are collectively known as the 'Spiritist Codification'. Although the other four books; 'The Medium's Book', 'The Gospel According to Spiritism', 'Heaven and Hell' and 'The Genesis According to Spiritism' are of great importance to the Spiritist movement it is 'The Spirits Book' that lays out the doctrine of the belief system. The Spiritist movement was founded by Allen Kardec and although its roots lay in Spiritualism there are differences in belief. The most important of these differences is the Spiritist belief in reincarnation. Although some Spiritualists believe in reincarnation and some do not, all Spiritists consider it as a basic truth of their ideology. In the 1850's, whilst investigating the afterlife, Kardec communicated in seances with a collection of spirits named 'The Spirit of Truth' who discussed many important topics such as life after death, good and evil, the universe and the origin of spirits, amongst others. 'The Spirit of Truth' counted many of history's great thinkers amongst its number such as Thomas of Aquino, Voltaire and Augustine of Hippo. Over time and after several sessions with the group Kardec had gathered enough information to convince him of life after death and he was compelled to spread the teachings of 'The Spirit of Truth'. He 'codified' their comments and listed them as answers to questions and this is the content of 'The Spirits Book'. The subjects that Kardec discusses, via 'The Spirit of Truth', laid down the foundations for the Spiritist philosophy and all of the concepts that would become, and still are, key to the movement's thinking have their genesis in the book. The belief that there is one Supreme Being, God, who created everything in the universe, is postulated. According to the text the Devil does not exist and Jesus is a messenger of God. Although the book does not refer to Jesus as the son of God and no mention is made of the 'immaculate conception' he is considered God's perfect messenger and his teachings are to be adhered to. Reincarnation and the survival of the soul after death are vital beliefs and it is stated that it is through reincarnation that lessons are learnt that can be taken into the next life and that every life moves the soul closer to perfection. According to the book man is made up of three separate elements; the body, the spirit and the spiritual body. One's spirit also predates the matter of the universe and will outlast it. After the publication of 'The Spirits Book' Kardec's Spiritist doctrine began to take root, firstly in France from where it spread throughout Europe and found its way to North America. Most significant, however, was the reaction to Spiritism in South America. In Brazil the Spiritist movement swept across the nation and it is still one of the country's main religions to this day with millions of Kardec's followers from Brazil visiting his tombstone in Paris every year.

Table of Contents:
INTRODUCTION PROLEGOMENA BOOK 1 CHAPTER 1 GOD God and Infinity Proofs of the existence of God Attributes of the Divinity Pantheism CHAPTER 2 GENERAL ELEMENTS OF THE UNIVERSE Knowledge of the first principles of things Spirit and matter Properties of matter Universal space CHAPTER 3 CREATION Formation of the worlds Production of living things Peopling of the earth; Adam Diversity of human races Plurality of worlds The Biblical account of creation CHAPTER 4 THE VITAL PRINCIPLE Organic and inorganic beings Life and death Intelligence and instinct BOOK 2 THE SPIRIT WORLD CHAPTER 1 SPIRITS Origin and nature of spirits Primitive and normal world Form and ubiquity of spirits Perispirit Different orders of spirits Spirit hierarchy Progression of spirits Angels and demons CHAPTER 2 INCARNATION OF SPIRITS Aim of incarnation The soul Materialism CHAPTER 3 RETURN FROM CORPOREAL TO THE SPIRIT LIFE The soul after death Separation of soul and body Temporarily confused state of spirit after death CHAPTER 4 PLURALITY OF EXISTENCES Reincarnation Justice of reincarnation Incarnation in different worlds Progressive transmigrations Fate of children after death Sex in spirits Relationships - Filiation Physical and moral likeness Innate ideas CHAPTER 5 CONSIDERATIONS ON THE PLURALITY OF EXISTENCES CHAPTER 6 SPIRIT LIFE Errant or wandering spirits Transitional worlds Perceptions, sensations, and suffering of spirits Theoretic explanation of the nature of sensation in spirits Choice of earthly trials Relationships beyond the grave Sympathies and antipathies of spirits - External halves Remembrance of corporeal existence Commemoration of the dead - Funerals CHAPTER 7 RETURN TO CORPOREAL LIFE Preludes to return Union of soul and body - Abortion Moral and intellectual faculties of mankind Influence of organism Idiocy and madness Infancy Terrestrial sympathies and antipathies Forgetfulness of the past CHAPTER 8 EMANCIPATION OF THE SOUL Sleep and dreams Visits between the spirits of living persons Occult transmissions of thought Lethargy - Catalepsy - Apparent death Somnambulism Trance Second sight Explanation of somnambulism, trance, and second sight CHAPTER 9 INTERVENTIONS OF SPIRITS IN THE CORPOREAL WORLD Penetrations of our thoughts by spirits Occult influence of spirits on our thoughts and actions Possession Convulsionaries Affection of certain spirits for certain persons Guardian angels - Protecting, familiar, and sympathetic spirits Presentiments Influence of spirits on the events of human life Action of spirits in the production of the phenomena of nature Spirits during battle Pacts with spirits Occult power - Talismans - Sorcerers - Benedictions and curses CHAPTER 10 OCCUPATIONS AND MISSIONS OF SPIRITS CHAPTER 11 THE THREE REIGNS Minerals and plants Animals and men Metempsychosis BOOK 3 CHAPTER 1 MORAL LAWS Divine or natural law Characteristics of natural law Source and knowledge of natural law Good and evil Division of natural law CHAPTER 2 THE LAW OF ADORATION Aim of adoration External acts of adoration Life of contemplation Prayer Polytheism Sacrifices CHAPTER 3 THE LAW OF LABOUR Necessity of labour Limit of labour - Rest CHAPTER 4 THE LAW OF REPRODUCTION Population of the globe Succession and improvement of races Obstacles to reproduction Marriage and celibacy Polygamy CHAPTER 5 THE LAW OF PRESERVATION Instinct of self preservation Means of self preservation Enjoyment of the fruits of the earth Necessaries and superfluities Voluntary privations - Mortifications CHAPTER 6 THE LAW OF DESTRUCTION Necessary destruction and unjustifiable destruction Destructive calamities War Murder Cruelty Dueling Capital punishment CHAPTER 7 SOCIAL LAW Necessity of social life Life in isolation Family ties CHAPTER 8 THE LAW OF PROGRESS State of nature March of progress Degenerate people Civilization Progress of human legislation Influence of spiritism on progress CHAPTER 9 THE LAW OF EQUALITY Natural equality Inequality of aptitudes Social inequalities Inequality of riches Trials of riches and of poverty Equality of rights of men and of women Equality in death CHAPTER 10 THE LAW OF LIBERTY Natural liberty Slavery Freedom of thought Freedom of conscience Free-will Fatality Foreknowledge Theoretic summary of the springs of human action CHAPTER 11 THE LAW OF JUSTICE, OF LOVE, AND OF CHARITY Natural rights and justice Rights of property-Robbery Charity-Love of the neighbour Maternal and filial affection CHAPTER 12 MORAL PERFECTION Virtues and vices The passions Selfishness Characteristics of a virtuous man Self-Knowledge BOOK 4 HOPES AND CONSOLATIONS CHAPTER 1 Earthly joys and sorrows Happiness and unhappiness Loss of those we love Disappointments - Ingratitude - Blighted affections Antipathetic unions Fear of death Weariness of life - Suicide CHAPTER 2 Future joys and sorrows Annihilation - Future life Intuition of future joys and sorrows Intervention of God in rewards and punishments Nature of future joys and sorrows Temporal vows Expiation and repentance Duration of future penalties Resurrection of the body Paradise - Hell - Purgatory - Original sin