Subject and modernity in Schelling's philosophy of art

Abstract

This paper begins by focusing on the criticism of the fichtean idea of subjectivity, drawn by Schelling from his early works, where he shows the limitation of the theoretical and practical I, and where he proposes a reformulation of the intellectual intuition. This intuition will guide to an Absolute that transcends the self-conscious. Its unconditioned activity must be considered as an explanatory principle of every poetic or aesthetic action, understood as a total creation without anything opposing or limiting it. At the same time, this Absolute already implies the Identity or the Indifference that presides over the Philosophy of Art. Thus, it lays the foundation for a general theory of reconciliation that includes not only the differentiation of two periods of culture (the ancient and the modern) but also heralds a new era, where both will be overcome. Furthermore, this paper analyzes the characteristics of these epochs, showing that the beginning of the modern world is produced when the unity between man and nature (experienced until then as a divine totality) is broken. As a consequence, the authentic evil of Modernity is the split, the dispersion caused by the separation of the individual from the Infinite and his ever –except in the mysticism– unsatisfied hope of reaching it.