German literature

Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph von Schelling, 1775-1854

Schelling, German philosopher, was one of the greatest exponents on Idealism and Romanticism in German philosophy. Born in Leonberg, Württemberg, on January 27, 1775, he studied at Tübingen University. He worked as a professor at the schools of most of Germany's the main universities and died on August 20, 1854 in Bad Ragaz, Switzerland.

Schelling's philosophy evolved with time. He began focusing on the identity of object and subject, based on the theories put forth by Kant, Fichte and Espinoza. This theory of identity is pantheistic, not critical or dogmatic, in which God is at the same level as the laws of the universe.

Schelling claims that the absolute self should take the place of the substance and only then can freedom be brought up as the object of an intellectual intuition.

In his second stage, Schelling denies his prior pantheistic beliefs, while he develops what was called 'positive philosophy', in which the essence and objective of human existence involves creative activity. Some of his writings that can be mentioned include The Philosophy of Art (1807), On Human Freedom (1809).

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