OF REALITY. 461 



forms. This has become extremely valuable to natural- 

 ists through the greater precision given to it by French 

 transformism (Lamarck), von Baer's Embryology, Dar- 

 win's Theory of Descent, and Spencer's Evolutionism, 

 though it has probably also misled many through one- 

 sidedness and exaggeration. The second valuable idea 

 leads us away from the position taken up by the pure 

 naturalist. It has been most clearly defined by Lotze, 

 who was the first to see in Schelling's philosophy of 

 nature the attempt, not only to describe natural 

 phenomena and to calculate them this being the 

 specific task of science but to interpret them, i.e., to 

 show their deeper sense and meaning. 



In carrying out this scheme Schelling made use of all 

 the new ideas and discoveries which were then revolu- 

 tionising the natural sciences. Among others the polar 24. 



,.,.,., . , . Formulas of 



forces, as exhibited in electric and magnetic phenomena, "polarity." 

 are considered to be symbolic of the two sides of reality 

 which confront us everywhere ; also the phenomena of 

 light, and generally the properties of what was then 

 termed imponderable matter, were opposed to its ponder- 

 able properties and looked upon as symbolical of many 

 contrasts which nature exhibits, such as, inter alia, the 

 maternal and paternal principles. Everywhere also the 

 formula appears of positive and negative factors or 

 elements which neutralise each other, leading up to and 

 producing a new reality. Great stress is also laid upon 

 organisation. In fact, in the phenomena of organised 

 nature the different activities of the Absolute are seen 

 as it were on a smaller and more easily observable scale. 



