whole of nature should be resolved into an intelligence。 The dead and unconscious products of
nature are only abortive attempts on the part of nature to reflect itself； but the so…called dead
nature is really an immature；” torpid； fossilized “intelligence〃； it is implicit only； and thus remains
in externality； “hence in its phenomena；” even though “still unconsciously； the character of
intelligence shines through。 Its highest end； which is to become object to itself； is first attained by
nature” （instead of nature we should call it the Idea of nature）； “through its highest and ultimate
reflection； which is none other than man； or； more generally； it is that which we call reason； through
which nature for the first time returns completely within itself； and whereby it becomes evident that
nature is originally identical with what is known in us as intelligence or the conscious。 Through this
tendency to make nature intelligent natural science becomes the philosophy of nature。” The
intelligent character of nature is thus spoken of as a postulate of science。 The other point of view is
“to give the subjective the foremost place。” Thus here “the problem is how to add an objective
element agreeing with it。 To start from the subjective as from the first and absolute； and to make
the objective arise from it；” signifies a new departure； its consideration forms the content of true
Transcendental Philosophy； or； as Schelling himself now named this science； “the other science
fundamental to Philosophy。” The organ of transcendental philosophy is the subjective； the
production of inward action。 Production and reflection upon this production； the unconscious and
conscious in one； is the ？sthetic act of the imagination。（9） Thus these two separate processes are
as a whole very clearly expressed： the process which leads from nature to the subject； and that
leading from the ego to the object。 But the true process could only be traced out by means of
logic； for it contains pure thoughts； but the logical point of view was what Schelling never arrived
at in his presentation of things；
a。 In respect of the ego； as principle of the transcendental philosophy； Schelling sets to work in
the same way as did Fichte； inasmuch as he begins from the fact of knowledge “in which the
content is conditioned through the form； and the form through the content” ； this is formal A = A。
But does A exist？ The ego is “the point where subject and object are one in their unmediated
condition” ； the ego is just Ego = Ego； subject…object； and that is the act of self…consciousness
wherein I am for myself object to myself。 In self…consciousness there is not to be found a
distinction between me and anything else； what are distinguished are directly identical； and there is
so far nothing at all in opposition to this self…consciousness。 How the case stands with regard to
external objects is the question which must be decided later； in the further course of development。
It is only the Notion of the ego which is to be laid hold of： “The Notion of the ego； that is the act
whereby thought in general becomes object to itself； and the ego itself （the object） are absolutely
one； independently of this act the ego is nothing。” It is the act whereby thought makes itself
objective； and wherein the ego is brought into harmony with the objective； with thought； and from
this standpoint it had to be demonstrated how the ego makes its way to objectivity。 “The ego； as
pure act； as pure action； is not objective in knowledge itself； for the reason that it is the principle of
all knowledge。 If it is to be object of knowledge； this must come to pass through a very different
kind of knowledge than the ordinary。” The immediate consciousness of this identity is intuition；
but inwardly it becomes “intellectual intuition” ； it “is a knowledge which is the object： sensuous
intuition or perception is perception of such a nature that the perception itself appears to be
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。 Th