Schelling’s Critique of Modern Philosophy’s “Impulse toward Spiritualization” in <i>Clara</i>

Abstract

The following essay explores Schelling’s critique of what he refers to in Clara as modern philosophy’s “impulse toward spiritualization”, as represented by the character of the clergyman. Schelling’s metaphysics embraces an organicism in which nature is the ground for the revelation of spirit, an organicism which implies that spirit becomes real as truth only insofar as it explains nature while testifying to the divine freedom from which all existence emerges. The following essay shows how Schelling himself understands the uniqueness of his metaphysics vis à vis his criticism of modern philosophy and its impulse to regard spirit as self-grounding. This essay proves that Schelling’s organicism underscores the fact that spirit, without nature as its ground, lacks objectivity, and therefore, is reduced to the mere feelings of the subject.

Keywords

• Schelling
• Clara
• spirit
• nature
• organicism
• “impulse toward spiritualization”