This paper, presented on a conference on sophiology, presents Schelling's views on wisdom in terms of a holistic approach towards philosophy,science and life. It starts with Descartes, Kant and Fichte as introductory path to Schelling’s conception of the Absolute, continues with Schelling's own conception of the Absolute, presents Wisdom as the first potency of the Absolute and the World Soul. The paper concludes with the differentiation between wisdom and cleverness and shows Schelling's views on wisdom in knowledge, science and academics.
Table of Contents
1. Descartes, Kant and Fichte as introductory path to Schelling’s conception of the Absolute
1.1 Descartes’ I as the lynchpin of modern philosophy
1.2 Kantian division of reality
1.3 Fichte’s way from the individual I to the Absolute I
2. Schelling’s conception of the Absolute
3. Wisdom as the first potency of the Absolute
4. Wisdom as World Soul
5. Wisdom and cleverness
6. Wisdom in knowledge, science and academics
Objectives and Topics
This work explores the development of Schelling's philosophical system, specifically focusing on his unique doctrine of wisdom as the first potency of the Absolute and its integration into human science. It examines how Schelling bridges the gap between the Absolute and individual knowledge through the concept of wisdom.
- Analysis of the Cartesian, Kantian, and Fichtean foundations of the Absolute.
- Investigation of Schelling’s transition from an idealist Absolute to a panentheistic God.
- The conceptualization of "wisdom" as the vital link between the divine and the worldly (World Soul).
- The ethical distinction between "wisdom" and "cleverness" in the pursuit of knowledge.
Auszug aus dem Buch
Wisdom as World Soul
Schelling adopts the Platonic conception of World Soul [Weltseele] which is “the principle animating the world.”77 World, consisting of organic and inorganic nature and human ideas, derives from the Absolute as an embodied spirit, Schelling argues. Hence the whole world is enlivened and ensouled by “the one common principle which, by fluctuating between the inorganic and organic nature, is the first cause of its entire change, which contains the final reason for its entire activity.”78 World soul is wisdom which, after having played before God,79 became “the catena between the supreme and the lowest in order to inhabit in men.”80
As catena, or “the bond of things among each other,”81 wisdom is present on every level of creation. As Schelling writes, “it ascends and descends the musical scale of entities.”82 Since wisdom is present in every part of life and nature, we can also claim that life, nature, world, the objective course of things, in one word—being itself—is wise.83 According to Schelling we can only be wise because the objects we recognize outside ourselves are wise too.84 Thus, wisdom ceases to be only a human virtue. It resides, rather, in world’s objective course participating in God’s wisdom.
Summary of Chapters
1. Descartes, Kant and Fichte as introductory path to Schelling’s conception of the Absolute: This chapter traces the historical development from Descartes' subjective ego through Kant's transcendental division of reality to Fichte's transition from the individual I to the Absolute I.
2. Schelling’s conception of the Absolute: This section details how Schelling builds upon Fichte’s idea of the Absolute to develop his own doctrine, emphasizing the necessary correspondence between the objective and the subjective.
3. Wisdom as the first potency of the Absolute: The text explains Schelling's monotheistic framework where God initiates creation by splitting Himself into three potencies, with wisdom identified as the first and primary potency.
4. Wisdom as World Soul: This chapter analyzes wisdom as the animating principle of nature, serving as a vital bond that connects the divine with the physical and human realms.
5. Wisdom and cleverness: The author contrasts Schelling's negative assessment of "cleverness" as an opportunistic, short-sighted trait with his positive, ethical, and far-sighted view of "wisdom."
6. Wisdom in knowledge, science and academics: The final chapter discusses the role of wisdom in various academic disciplines, arguing that true scientific progress requires participation in the Absolute.
Keywords
Schelling, Absolute, Wisdom, Philosophy, Knowledge, Wissenschaftslehre, Potencies, World Soul, Idealism, Panentheism, Fichte, Kant, Descartes, Ethics, Metaphysics
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this work?
The work primarily examines Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph von Schelling’s philosophy, with a specific focus on his "doctrine of wisdom" as the foundational potency of the Absolute and its role in human knowledge.
What are the central themes discussed?
Key themes include the evolution of German Idealism, the relationship between God and creation, the role of wisdom as an animating force (World Soul), and the ethical pursuit of scientific knowledge.
What is the primary research objective?
The objective is to provide a comprehensive analysis of Schelling's conception of the Absolute and to demonstrate how his understanding of wisdom serves to integrate nature, God, and human intellectual activity.
Which scientific approach is utilized?
The author utilizes an analytical, historical-philosophical approach, tracing the logical and ontological development of Schelling's ideas in relation to his predecessors such as Descartes, Kant, and Fichte.
What is covered in the main section of the book?
The main sections delve into the transition from subjective idealism to Schelling's objective idealism, the theory of divine potencies, the conceptualization of wisdom versus cleverness, and the application of these ideas to various academic fields.
Which keywords characterize this work?
The work is best characterized by terms such as Schelling, Absolute, Wisdom, Potencies, World Soul, Idealism, and Panentheism.
How does Schelling differentiate "wisdom" from "cleverness"?
Schelling views wisdom as an ethical, far-sighted, and altruistic quest for ultimate truth, whereas he defines cleverness as a negative, short-sighted, and opportunistic quality that ignores ethical ends.
What does Schelling mean by the "World Soul"?
The World Soul (Weltseele) is the Platonic principle Schelling adopts to describe the common, animating force that fluctuates through organic and inorganic nature, linking the supreme divine with the lowest entities.
- Citar trabajo
- Dr. phil. Mag. theol. Thomas Klibengajtis (Autor), 2009, Sophia in Schelling's work, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/191380
