sensuous forms have been taken as basis； just as were sulphur and mercury by Jacob Boehme。
For instance； magnetism； electricity； and chemistry have been defined to be the three potencies in
Nature； and thus in the organism reproduction has been termed chemistry； irritability； electricity；
and sensibility； magnetism。（27） In this way there has crept into Natural Philosophy the great
formalism of representing everything as a series； which is a superficial determination without
necessity； since instead of Notions we find formulas。 Brilliant powers of imagination are displayed；
such as were exhibited by G？rres。 This mistake of applying forms which are taken from one
sphere of Nature to another sphere of the same has been carried a long way； Oken； for example；
calls wood…fibres the nerves and brain of the plant； and is almost crazy on the subject。 Philosophy
would in this way become a play of mere analogical reflections； and it is not with these but with
thoughts that we have to do。 Nerves are not thoughts； any more than such expressions as pole of
contraction； of expansion； masculine； feminine； &c。 The formal plan of applying an external
scheme to the sphere of Nature which one wishes to observe； is the external work of Natural
Philosophy； and this scheme is itself derived from the imagination。 That is a most false mode of
proceeding； Schelling took advantage of it to some extent； others have made a complete misuse of
it。 All this is done to escape thought； nevertheless； thought is the ultimate simple determination
which has to be dealt with。
It is therefore of the greatest importance to distinguish Schelling's philosophy； on the one hand；
from that imitation of it which throws itself into an unspiritual farrago of words regarding the
Absolute； and； on the other hand； from the philosophy of those imitators； who； owing to a failure
to understand intellectual intuition； give up comprehension； and with it the leading moment of
knowledge； and speak from so…called intuition； i。e。 they take a glance at the thing in question； and
having fastened on it some superficial analogy or definition； they fancy they have expressed its
whole nature； while in point of fact they put an end to all capacity for attaining to scientific
knowledge。 This whole tendency places itself； in the first place； in opposition to reflective thought；
or to progress in fixed； steadfast； immovable Notions。 But instead of remaining in the Notion and
recognizing it as the unresting ego； they have lighted on the opposite extreme of passive intuition；
of immediate Being of fixed implicitude； and they think that they can make up for the lack of fixity
by superficial observation； and can render this observation intellectual by determining it once more
by some fixed Notion or other； or they bring their minds to bear on the object of consideration by
saying； for instance； that the ostrich is the fish among birds； because he has a long neck — fish
becomes a general term； but not a Notion。 This whole mode of reasoning； which has forced its
way into natural history and natural science； as well as into medicine； is a miserable formalism； an
irrational medley of the crudest empiricism with the most superficial ideal determinations that
formalism ever descended to。 The philosophy of Locke is not so crude as it is； for it is not a whit
better in either its content or its form； and it is combined with foolish self…conceit into the bargain。
Philosophy on this account sank into general and well…deserved contempt； such as is for the most
part extended to those who assert that they have a monopoly of philosophy。 Instead of
earnestness of apprehension and circumspection of thought； we find in them a juggling with idle
fancies； which pass for deep conceptions； lofty surmises； and even for poetry： and they think they
are right in the centre of things when they are only on the surface。 Five…and…twenty years ago（28）
the case was the same with poetic art； a taste for ingenious conceits took possession of it； and the
effusions of its poetic inspiration came forth blindly from itself； shot out as from a pistol。 The results
were either crazy ravings； or； if they were not ravings； they were prose so dull that it was unworthy
of the name of prose。 It is just the same in the later philosophies。 What is not utterly senseless
drivel about the indifference…point and polarity； about oxygen； the holy； the infinite； &c。； is made
up of thoughts so trivial that we might well doubt our having correctly apprehended their meaning；
in the first place because they are given forth with such arrogant effrontery； and in the second
place because we cannot help trusting that what was said was not go trivial as it seems。 As in the
Philosophy of Nature men forgot the Notion and proceeded in a dead unspiritual course； so here
they lose sight of spirit entirely。 They have strayed from the right road； for by their principle；
Notion and perception are one unity； but in point of fact this unity； this spirit； itself emerges in
immediacy； and is therefore in intuitive perception； and not in the Notion。
1。 Schelling's philosophische Schriften （Landshut； 1809； Vol。 I。 Vom Ich als Princip der
Philosophie； pp。 1…114）； pp。 3； 4 （first edition； Tübingen； 1795； pp。 4…7）。
2。 His birthplace is usually stated to have been Leonberg； a short distance from
Schorndorf。…＇Translators' note。＇
3。 Lectures of 1816…1817。 ＇Translators' note。＇
4。 Schelling's philosophische Schriften： Vom Ich als Princip der Philosophie； p。 99 seq。 （p。 178
seq。）。
5。 Ibidem； pp。 23； 24 （pp。 38…42）。
6。 Ibidem； p。 83 （p。 150）。
7。 Schelling's System des transcendentalen Idealismus； p。 257； not。 Zeitschrift für speculative
Physik； Vol。 II。 No。 2； p。 92。
8。 Lectures of 1805…1806。
9。 Schelling： System des transcendentalen Idealismus； pp。 1…7； 17…21。
10。 Schelling： System des transcendentalen Idealismus； pp。 24…46； 49…52； 55…58； 63…65。
11。 Schelling： System des transcendentalen Idealismus； pp。 69； 70； 72…79。
12。 Schelling： System des transcendentalen Idealismus； pp。 85； 86； 89； 98； 442…444。
13。 Schelling： System des transcendentalen Idealismus； pp。 471； 472； 475。
14。 Schelling： Neue Zeitschrift für speculative Physik； Vol。 I。 Part I。 pp。 52； 53。
15。 Kritisches Journal der Philosophie； published by Schelling and Hegel； Vol。 I。 Part I。 p。 67；
Schelling： Zeitschrift für speculative Physik； Vol。 II。 No。 II。 Preface； p。 xiii。
16。 Schelling： Zeitschrift für speculative Physik； Vol。 II。 No。 II。 § 1； pp。 1； 2； § 4； p。 4； §
16…18； pp。 10…12。
17。 Ibidem； § 22…24； pp。 13…15； § 37； 38； pp。 22； 23； § 40…42； pp。 25； 26。
18。 Schelling： Zeitschrift für speculative Physik； Vol。 II。 No。 II。 § 25； 26； 28； 30…32； pp。 15…19；
§ 44； 46； pp。 27…29。
19。 Schelling： Zeitschrift für speculative Physik； Vol。 II。 No。 II。 § 50； No。 1； § 51； pp。 34…36； §
54； p。 40； § 57 and note； pp。 42…44。
20。 Schelling： Zeitschrift für spec。 Phys。； Vol。 II。 No。 II。 § 62…64； pp。 47； 48； § 92； 93； pp。 59；
60； § 67…69； pp。 49； 50； § 95； pp。 64…68； （Nene Zeitschrift für speculative Physik； Vol。 I。 Part
II。 pp。 92； 93； 98； 117…119； Erster Entwuft eines Systems der Natur…philosophie； p。 297； §
76…78； p。 53； § 83 and Appendix； p。 54； § 103； Note； p。 76； § 112； p。 84。
21。 Ibidem； § 136； 137； pp。 109； 110； § 141； Appendix I。 p。 112。
22。 Schelling： Neue Zeitschrift für speculative Physik； Vol。 I。 Part I。 pp。 1…77； Part II。 pp。 1…38。
23。 Schelling： Ibidem； Vol。 I。 Part II。 p。 39。
24。 Schelling： Ibidem； Vol。 I。 Part II。 pp。 39…41。
25。 Schelling； Ibidem； Vol。 I。 Part II。 pp。 41…50。
26。 Schelling： Denkmal der Schrift von den g？ttlichen Dingen； pp。 94； 85； 86 （Philosophische
Untersuchungen über das Wesen der menschlichen Freiheit in den Philosophischen Schriften； Vol。
I。 Landshut； 1809； p。 429）； 89…93。
27。 Cf。 Schelling's Erster Entwurf der Natur…philosophie； p。 297。
28。 From the lectures of 1805…1806。
Section Three： Recent German Philosophy
E。 Final Result。
The present standpoint of philosophy is that the Idea is known in its necessity； the sides of its
diremption； Nature and Spirit； are each of them recognized as representing the totality of the Idea；
and not only as being in themselves identical； but as producing this one identity from themselves；
and in this way the identity is recognized as necessary。 Nature； and the world or history of spirit；
are the two realities； what exists as actual Nature is an image of divine Reason； the forms of
self…conscious Reason are also the forms of Nature。 The ultimate aim and business of philosophy
is to reconcile thought or the Notion with reality。 It is easy from subordinate standpoints to find
satisfaction in modes of intuitive perception and of feeling。 But the deeper the spirit goes within
itself； the more vehement is the opposition； the more abundant is the wealth without； the depth is to
be measured by the greatness of the craving with which spirit seeks to find itself in what lies
outside of itself。 We saw the thought which apprehends itself appearing； it strove to make itself
concrete within itself。 Its first activity is formal； Aristotle was the first to say t