Walter Benjamin did not frequently mention Schelling directly in his works, and Schelling is not typically seen as a central influence on Benjamin in the same way that figures like Kant, Hegel, Marx, or Nietzsche were. However, there are **indirect influences** and **philosophical resonances** between Schelling’s ideas and Benjamin’s thought, particularly regarding **myth, nature, and history**.
### 1. **Myth and Nature**
- **Schelling’s Influence on Benjamin’s Concept of Myth**: Schelling’s exploration of the **mythic** and **irrational dimensions of nature** aligns with Benjamin’s critiques of **mythic consciousness** in his works, especially in *The Origin of German Tragic Drama* (*Ursprung des deutschen Trauerspiels*). For Schelling, nature was not just rational or mechanistic but had a **dark, unconscious side**, with both creative and destructive elements. Benjamin was also concerned with how **mythic thinking** binds human beings to fate and nature, contrasting this with the **messianic rupture** that could break history’s deterministic cycles.
- **Schelling’s Philosophy of Nature**: Schelling’s **Naturphilosophie**—which views nature as a dynamic, living process—resonates with Benjamin’s reflections on nature, especially in terms of how nature is implicated in **myth** and **human history**. While Benjamin’s critique of **myth** was more political and historical, both thinkers saw nature as more than a mere backdrop for human activity. For Benjamin, nature could be redeemed through messianic intervention, much as Schelling believed that nature held deeper spiritual significance.
### 2. **History and the Unconscious**
- **Schelling’s Unconscious Ground of Being and Benjamin’s View of History**: Schelling’s idea of the **unconscious ground** of existence has affinities with Benjamin’s views on **history**. In his *Theses on the Philosophy of History*, Benjamin suggests that history is not a rational, linear process but is marked by breaks, interruptions, and irrational forces that shape events. While Schelling’s unconscious ground is metaphysical, Benjamin’s interest in the hidden forces of history could be seen as engaging with similar **non-rational, subterranean dynamics**.
- **Messianic Time vs. Mythic Time**: Schelling’s metaphysical distinction between **freedom and necessity** mirrors Benjamin’s distinction between **messianic time** (a break in historical continuity) and **mythic time** (the endless repetition of fate). Both philosophers were interested in how **history could break free** from deterministic patterns—Schelling through existential freedom, and Benjamin through messianic redemption.
### 3. **Redemption and Transcendence**
- **Schelling’s Idea of the Absolute and Benjamin’s Messianic Thinking**: While Schelling’s **Absolute** is more metaphysical and rooted in the tension between freedom and necessity, Benjamin’s thought often centers around the potential for **redemption** in history. Both share a deep concern with the **interruption** or **break** in the unfolding of existence or history. Schelling’s view that reality contains unresolved tensions and irrational forces resonates with Benjamin’s idea that historical materialism must recognize the **ruptures** in historical progress, especially through moments of messianic redemption.
### Conclusion: **Indirect Influence and Philosophical Resonances**
Although Benjamin did not frequently cite or discuss Schelling directly, there are clear philosophical affinities between their views on nature, myth, history, and the role of irrational forces in existence. Benjamin’s concerns with the **mythic structure of nature and history**, the possibility of **messianic redemption**, and his critique of **historical continuity** bear indirect similarities to Schelling’s emphasis on the **irrational ground of Being**, **freedom**, and the **dynamic nature of reality**.
In summary, while Schelling was not a direct influence on Benjamin, his thought likely contributed to the **intellectual atmosphere** of German Idealism and Romanticism that Benjamin engaged with, and there are notable **resonances** between their philosophical concerns.
