different from what is perceived。 Now intellectual intuition is the organ of all transcendental
thought；” the act of pure self…consciousness generally。 “The ego is nothing else than a process of
production which ever makes itself its own object。 Science can start from nothing objective；” but
from “the non…objective which itself becomes object” as an “original duplicity。 Idealism is the
mechanism of the origination of the objective world from the inward principle of spiritual activity。”
（10）
On the one hand Schelling's system is related to the philosophy of Fichte； and； on the other hand；
he； like Jacobi； makes his principle immediate knowledge — the intelligent intuitive perception
which all who wish to philosophize must have。 But what comes next is that its content is no longer
the indeterminate； the essence of essence； but likewise the Absolute； God； the absolutely
self…existent； though expressed as concrete； i。e。 as mediating itself within itself； as the absolute
unity or indifference of subjective and objective。 Intellectual intuition is the Fichtian imagination
oscillating between two different points。 We have already spoken above （p。 417） of the form of
intellectual intuition； it is the most convenient manner of asserting knowledge respecting — anything
one likes。 But the immediate knowledge of God as spiritual is only in the consciousness of
Christian nations； and not for others。 This immediate knowledge appears to be still more
contingent as the intellectual intuition of the concrete； or the identity of subjectivity and objectivity。
This intuition is intellectual indeed； because it is a rational intuition； and as knowledge it is likewise
absolutely one with the object of knowledge。 But this intuition； although itself knowledge； is not as
yet known； it is the unmediated； the postulated。 As it is in this way an immediate we must possess
it； and what may be possessed may likewise not be possessed。 Thus since the immediate
pre…supposition in Philosophy is that individuals have the immediate intuition of this identity of
subjective and objective； this gave the philosophy of Schelling the appearance of indicating that the
presence of this intuition in individuals demanded a special talent； genius； or condition of mind of
their own； or as though it were generally speaking an accidental faculty which pertained to the
specially favoured few。 For the immediate； the intuitively perceived； is in the form of an existent；
and is not thus an essential； and whoever does not understand the intellectual intuition must come
to the conclusion that he does not possess it。 Or else； in order to understand it； men must give
themselves the trouble of possessing it； but no one can tell whether he has it or not — not even
from understanding it； for we may merely think we understand it。 Philosophy； however； is in its
own nature capable of being universal； for its ground…work is thought； and it is through thought that
man is man。 Schelling's principle is thus indeed clearly a universal； but if a definite intuition； a
definite consciousness is demanded； such as the consciousness or intuition of the identity of
subjective and objective； this determinate particular thought is not as yet to be found in it。
It was； however； in this form of knowledge of the absolute as concrete； and； further； in the form of
unity of subjective and objective； that Philosophy as represented by Schelling more especially
marked itself off from the ordinary conceiving consciousness and its mode of reflection。 Even less
than Fichte did Schelling attain to popularity （supra； pp。 504； 505）； for the concrete in its nature is
directly speculative。 The concrete content； God； life； or whatever particular form it has； is indeed
the content and object of natural consciousness； but the difficulty lies in bringing what is contained
in the concrete into concrete thought in accordance with its different determinations； and in laying
hold of the unity。 It pertains to the standpoint of the understanding to divide and to distinguish； and
to maintain the finite thought…determinations in their opposition； but Philosophy demands that these
different thoughts should be brought together。 Thought begins by holding apart infinite and finite；
cause and effect； positive and negative； since this is the region of reflecting consciousness； the old
metaphysical consciousness was able to take part in so doing： but the speculative point of view is
to have this opposition before itself and to reconcile it。 With Schelling the speculative form has thus
again come to the front； and philosophy has again obtained a special character of its own； the
principle of Philosophy； rational thought in itself； has obtained the form of thought。 In the
philosophy of Schelling the content； the truth； has once more become the matter of chief
importance； whereas in the Kantian philosophy the point of interest was more especially stated to
be the necessity for investigating subjective knowledge。 This is the standpoint of Schelling's
philosophy in its general aspects。
b。 Since in further analysis the distinction between subject and object comes into view and is
accepted； there follows the relationship of the ego to its other； with Fichte that forms the second
proposition； in which the self…limitation of the ego is posited。 The ego posits itself in opposition to
itself； since it posits itself as conditioned by the non…ego； that is the infinite repulsion； for this
conditionment is the ego itself。 Schelling； on the one hand； says： “The ego is unlimited as the ego
only in so far as it is limited；” as it relates to the non…ego。 Only thus does consciousness exist；
self…consciousness is a barren determination； through its intuition of self the ego becomes finite to
itself。 “This contradiction only allows itself to be dissolved by the ego becoming in this finitude
infinite to itself； i。e。 by its having an intuitive perception of itself as an infinite Becoming。” The
relation of the ego to itself and to the infinite check or force of repulsion is a constant one。 On the
other hand it is said： “The ego is limited only in so far as it is unlimited；” this limitation is thus
necessary in order to be able to get beyond it。 The contradiction which we find here remains even
if the ego always limits the non…ego。 “Both activities — that which makes for infinitude； the
limitable； real； objective activity； and the limiting and ideal； mutually pre…suppose one another。
Idealism reflects merely on the one； realism on the other； transcendental idealism on both。” （11）
All this is a tangled mass of abstractions。
c。 “Neither through the limiting activity nor through the limited does the ego arrive at
self…consciousness。 There consequently is a third activity； compounded from the other two；
through which the ego of self…consciousness arises； this third is that which oscillates between the
two — the struggle between opposing tendencies。” There is essential relation only； relative
identity； the difference therein present thus ever remains。 “This struggle cannot be reconciled by
one such action； but only by an infinite succession of such；” i。e。 the reconciliation of the
opposition between the two tendencies of the ego； the inward and the outward； is； in the infinite
course of progression； only an apparent one。 In order that it may be complete； the whole inward
and outward nature must be presented in all its details： but Philosophy can only set forth the
epochs which are most important。 “If all the intermediate links in sensation could be set forth； that
would necessarily lead us to a deduction of all the qualities in nature； which last is impossible。”
Now this third activity； which contains the union directly in itself； is a thought in which particularity
is already contained。 It is the intuitive understanding of Kant； the intelligent intuition or intuitively
perceiving intelligence； Schelling； indeed； definitely names this absolute unity of contradictions
intellectual intuition。 The ego here is not one…sided in regard to what is different； it is identity of the
unconscious and the conscious； but not an identity of such a nature that its ground rests on the ego
itself。（12）
This ego must be the absolute principle： “All philosophy starts from a principle which as absolute
identity is non…objective。” For if it is objective； separation is at once posited and it is confronted
by another； but the principle is the reconciliation of the opposition； and therefore in and for itself it
is non…objective。 “Now how should a principle such as this be called forth to consciousness and
understood； as is required if it is the condition attached to the comprehension of all philosophy？
That it can no more be comprehended through Notions ＇Begriffe＇ than set forth； requires no
proof。〃 Notion to Schelling signifies a category of the ordinary understanding； Notion is； however；
the concrete thought which in itself is infinite。 “There thus remains nothing more than that it should
be set forth in an immediate intuition。 If there were such all intuition which had as object the
absolutely identical； that which in itself is neither subjective nor objective； and if for