462 PHILOSOPHICAL THOUGHT. 



By means of repeated steps from lower to higher poten- 

 cies or powers (to set forth which algebraical symbols are 

 employed) the soul of nature as it were unfolds itself, 

 rising to higher and higher developments, culminating 

 in the phenomena of sensibility, with which the natural 

 or external order of things comes to an end, to be 

 again absorbed and carried into a different region 

 in the philosophy of mind with its three regions of 

 intellect, activity, and the union of both in poetry 

 and art. 



This latter region acquires in Schelling's ever-progres- 

 sive mind more and more reality. This was due to the 

 influence of the artistic life, interests, and creations which 

 surrounded him, to Schiller's inspiring doctrines, and 

 above all to the intuitive and poetical comprehension 

 of nature peculiar to Goethe, under whose personal in- 

 fluence Schelling came during those years. For a time 

 at least he conceived Art to be not only the highest 

 identity of the Eeal and Ideal which is accessible to the 

 human mind, but also the union of the latter with the 

 Absolute, the actual manifestation of the truly Eeal : 

 the intellectual intuition of Fichte has become with 

 Schelling an artistic or poetical intuition. In and 

 through it the truly Eeal becomes an immediate, not 

 merely a mediated reality. This extremely fruitful and 

 inspiring idea was taken up in many versions by 

 Schelling's contemporaries, notably by the representa- 

 tives of the romantic school. It was the melody which 

 lent itself to endless variations, being enriched by all 

 the harmonies and resolved discords of which the crea- 

 tive mind is capable ; the whole musical orchestra becom- 



