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been the same with that of all other exclusive theories; and in spite of its imposing tone of authority, which would elevate speculation at the expense of experimental knowledge (which it affects to contemn), it has failed to acquire an ascendency in matters of philosophy. At the same time, it must be confessed that in its day it had great influence over the minds of Fichte's contemporaries; and by the sort of eloquence which characterized his compositions, has promoted in many men a strong tendency to anti-sensuous pursuits and investigations.

Schelling's Theory of Absolute Identity.

406. Fichte had attempted to construct a system of knowledge on the principles of Idealism, in respect both of Form and Matter; but Schelling carried speculation a step farther, and instead of the Ego, the Subject-Object, placed at the head of his system the absolute Itself, or the Original Ego (das Ur-Ich), and proposed to solve, on philosophical principles, the highest problem which Reason can contemplate-the nature of Absolute Being, and the manner in which all finite beings are derived from it. F. W. J. von Schelling is unquestionably an original thinker, superior to Fichte for the vivacity of his imagination, the poetical character of his genius, and the extent of his acquirements; more particularly in the history

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GOTTLOB CHR. FR. FISCHHABER, Ueber das Princip und die Hauptprobleme des Fichteschen Systems, nebst einem Entwurf zu einer neuen Auflösung derselben, Carlsruhe, 1801, 8vo.

C. CHR. EHR. SCHMID'S Ausführliche Kritik des Buchs: Die Bestimmung des Menschen, in Schmid's Aufsätzen Philosophischen und Theologischen inhalts, Jena, 1802, 8vo.

CH. F. BÖHME, Commentar über und gegen den ersten Grundsatz der wissenschaftlichen Lehre, Altenb. 1802, 8vo.

JAC. FRIES; Reinhold, Fichte, und Schelling, Leipz. 1803, 8vo. FR. WILH. JOS. SCHELLING, Darlegung des wahren Verhältnisses der Naturphilosophie zu der verbesserten Fichteschen Lehre, Tübingen, 1806, 8vo.

H. L. EGIDIUS, Johann Gottlieb Fichte; In DULLER'S Männern des Volks, 1847, IV Band, 1ste Lieferung.

BAYER, Zu Fichte's Gedächtniss, 1835.

An Aulic councillor, and at the present time a professor at Munich; born at Leonberg in Würtemberg, Jan. 27, 1775.

of ancient philosophy, in antiquities, and natural history. Having studied at Tübingen the systems of Kant, Reinhold, and Ænesidemus (Schulze), he accused the former of failing to deduce his conclusions from the first axioms of science, and desiderated a common principle which might embrace alike the Speculative and Practical department of knowledge; objecting also to the use made of what was called the Moral Proof. Fichte's theory made a strong impression on his youthful and ardent temper, more inclined to adopt with readiness the imagination of the infinite and creative activity of the human mind, than disposed to a painful examination of the forms and laws by which that activity is circumscribed. With such views the young scholar resorted to Jena, where he formed a close intimacy with Fichte, and defended his theory against the partisans or the adversaries of Kant; without, however, adopting all its dogmata. Gradually he dissented more and more from the system of his master, in proportion as he became more and more sensible of its exclusive character.

407. Fichte had deduced all his system from the operations of the Ego in what may be termed a progressive method; but without offering any proof for his leading assertion that the Subjective produces and creates the Objective; the latter never producing the Subjective. This process may be reversed and the argument conducted from Objective Nature to the Ego; and if a due reference be not made to the Critical system, the one method is no less admissible than the other. Spinoza had already produced a system of Dogmatism carried to the highest possible point, and ending in an objective Realism; and by such considerations Schelling was led to form the idea of two opposite and parallel philosophical Sciences-the Transcendental Philosophy, and the Philosophy of Nature, to the special

With these views he composed his first work: Ueber die Möglichkeit einer Form der Philos. überhaupt, Tübing. 1795; and, Vom Ich als princip der Philos.; oder, über das Unbedingte in der menschlichen Wissenschaft, ibid. 1805, 8vo. (see his Philos. Works, vol. I.)

2 See his Philosophical Letters on Dogmatism and Criticism; first published in the Journal of Niethammer, 1796, and since incorporated in his works.

ROSENKRANZ, Schelling: Vorlesungen gehalten an der Universität zu Königsberg, 1843.

treatment of which, especially the latter, he devoted various works. The former begins with the consideration of the Ego, and derives from that the Objective, the Multifarious, the Necessary,-in short-the system of Nature. The latter sets out with the contemplation of Nature, and deduces therefrom the Ego, the Unrestricted, and the Simple. The tendency of both is to illustrate, by their mutual relations, the powers of Nature and the Soul, considered as identical.

The principle which they have in common is this; The laws of Nature must exist within us as the laws of Consciousness; and, vice versa, the laws of Consciousness are found to exist in objective nature as the laws of Nature. It is to be observed, however, that the first of these two Sciences cannot investigate to the end the inexhaustible variety of external Nature; nor can the second attain to a perception of the Simple and Absolute. It is impossible to explain to ourselves by the ordinary processes of the understanding, how out of Unity arises Multiplicity, and out of Multiplicity-Unity (the last combining the twofold characters of Unity and Multiplicity); both become lost in the Infinite, which is common to both. There must consequently be a still higher Philosophy which serves as a common link to the two others which are equally dependent on it, and which both unite in it. In this manner Schelling founded his system on the Original Identity of that which knows and that which is known, and was led to conclude the absolute identity of the Subjective and Objective, or the Indifference of the Differing; in which consists the essence of the Absolute:-that is, the Deity. The Absolute is recognized by an absolute act of cognition, in which the Subjective and Objective concur, implicitly and indistinctly; in other words, by Intellectual Perception. Consequently Schelling opposes Absolute Cognition or Knowledge, obtained through the medium of the Ideas, to inferior or empirical knowledge, the result of Reflection by means of the conceptions of the understanding. The last description of knowledge is directed to things conditional, individual, and divisible, which are associated by a process of the understanding. The former contemplates the Absolute, which is independent and unconditional, and is apprehended

by means of the Ideas. This is Science properly so called, and develops itself (agreeably to its nature) as Unity, in an organic whole, in which the Subjective and Objective are indivisible and identical: a divine Science, embracing the highest sphere of Nature; the only Science worthy of our serious regard, or of the name of Philosophy.

In this manner the system of Schelling proposes to attain to a knowledge of the essences and forms of all things, by means of Ideas of the Reason or Intuition, and asserts that to be and to know are identical (whence its appellation of the system of Absolute Identity (Identitätslehre). It is a transcendental and, according to Schelling, absolute system of Idealism, which would derive all knowledge, not from the partial principle of the Ego, but from one still higher-the Absolute; comprehending not only the Ego, but Nature also. It proposes to attain to a knowledge of the latter by means of Ideas1 (Philosophy of Nature, Construction of Nature à priori), and labours to establish a perpetual parallelism or analogy between the laws of Nature and those of Intelligence. In short, it is Idealism and Realism carried forward to a loftier platform, that of the Absolute.

408. The Absolute is neither infinite nor finite; neither Esse (Seyn) nor cognition (Erkennen); neither Subject nor Object; but that wherein all opposition of Subject and Object, Knowledge and Existence, Spirit and Nature, Ideal and Real, together with all other differences and distinctions, are absorbed and disappear, leaving an indissoluble and equal union of cognition and Esse. This Absolute Identity of Ideal and Real, and Absolute Indifference of the Differing (of Unity and Plurality), is the Unity which comprehends the Universe." Absolute Identity exists; and out of its limits nothing really exists, and, consequently, nothing is finite which exists per se. All that is, is Absolute Identity or a development of its essence. This development takes place in conformity with certain correlative Opposi tions of terms, which are derived from Absolute Identity as the poles or sides of the same object, with a preponderance to the Ideal or Real; and become identified by the law of

The Philosophy of Nature, or the Construction of Nature à priori. 2 See Considerations on various Philosophical Principles, and parti eularly that of Schelling, in Fischhaber's Archiv. für Philos. I Heft.

Totality; the principle of their development being that of Identity in Triplicity. Such identity is sometimes styled a division of the Absolute; sometimes a spontaneous revelation of the same; sometimes a falling-off of the Ideas from the Deity. By such a revelation Absolute Knowledge is made possible to us; Reason itself (as far as it is Absolute) being the identification of the Ideal and Real. The characteristic form of the Absolute is absolute knowledge, in which Identity and Unity assume the character of Duality (AA). The leading propositions of this theory consequently are: 1. That there exists but one identical nature; and that merely a quantitive (not a qualitive) difference exists between objects, quoad essentiam, resulting from the preponderance of the Objective or Subjective-the Ideal or Real. The Finite has only an apparent existence, inasmuch as it is the product of merely relative Reflection. 2. The One Absolute Nature reveals Itself in the eternal generation of existing things, which on their part constitute the forms of the first. Consequently each individual Being is a revelation of Absolute Being, in a determinate form. Nothing can exist which does not participate in the Divine Being. Consequently the Natural world is not dead, but animated and divine, no less than the Ideal. 3. This revelation of the Absolute takes place in conformity with certain correlative Oppositions which characterise different gradations of development, with a preponderance of the Real or the Ideal; and which consequently are nothing more than so many expressions of Absolute Identity. Science investigates these Oppositions, and presents a picture of the Universe, by deducing the Ideas of objects from the original contemplation of the Absolute, on the principle of Identity in Triplicity (called by Schelling the process of Construction), in conformity with the creative process observable in Nature itself. This Ideal construction is what we call Philosophy (the Science of Ideas); the highest effort of which is the discovery of a relative form amid the multifariousness of external Nature, and the recognition, in this relative form, of Absolute Identity.

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