Yes, there are several interpretations of Friedrich Schelling’s work beyond Žižek’s view of him as a “vanishing mediator.” Scholars and philosophers have approached Schelling’s thought from various angles, recognizing his unique contributions to different fields of philosophy and his lasting influence. Here are a few significant perspectives:
1. Schelling as a Philosopher of Nature and Freedom:
Schelling is often celebrated as one of the first philosophers to develop a comprehensive philosophy of nature (Naturphilosophie), in which he attempted to reconcile nature with freedom. His early works explored the dynamic, organic structure of nature, emphasizing its creative, self-organizing tendencies. This aspect of Schelling’s thought heavily influenced later thinkers, especially in the Romantic movement and ecological philosophy.
• Perspective: Schelling’s philosophy of nature posits that nature itself has a form of subjectivity, working towards self-realization. This emphasis on nature’s intrinsic creativity stood in contrast to the mechanistic views of nature dominant in his time, which has made his work influential for later philosophers and ecologists who seek to integrate humanity into a living cosmos rather than seeing it as detached from it
| Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology.
2. The Philosophy of Freedom:
Schelling’s philosophy of freedom—particularly in his later works like Freedom Essay (1809)—is another area where his thought is seen as significant. Here, Schelling grapples with the problem of evil, human freedom, and the tension between necessity and freedom. Unlike Hegel’s more deterministic system, where freedom emerges from the unfolding dialectic of history, Schelling emphasizes the radical, unpredictable nature of freedom as an existential force. For some scholars, this makes Schelling a precursor to existentialist thought.
• Perspective: Martin Heidegger, in his lectures on Schelling, praised this exploration of freedom, considering it a profound engagement with metaphysical questions about existence, decision, and evil. Heidegger saw Schelling as a thinker who prefigured key existentialist concerns, laying the groundwork for future existential philosophy
| Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology.
3. Schelling as a Proto-Existentialist:
Some scholars, particularly in existentialist and phenomenological traditions, view Schelling as a precursor to existentialism. His emphasis on individual freedom, his engagement with the problem of evil, and his exploration of the non-rational aspects of existence (such as the unconscious) are seen as anticipating themes in thinkers like Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, and later existentialists.
• Perspective: Søren Kierkegaard, who attended some of Schelling’s lectures, was influenced by Schelling’s view of freedom, particularly his emphasis on the anxiety and uncertainty that accompanies human choice. Kierkegaard took these insights further in his own existential philosophy of faith, freedom, and subjectivity .
4. Schelling’s Theological Significance:
Schelling’s philosophy also has a theological dimension, especially in his later works where he explores the relationship between God, nature, and human freedom. His concept of a dynamic, evolving God who is in some sense dependent on creation and freedom had a profound impact on later religious thinkers, particularly those in process theology.
• Perspective: In this theological context, Schelling is seen as a thinker who broke away from traditional Christian theism, offering a more relational and developmental conception of God. This influenced modern theologians, such as those in the process theology movement (like Whitehead and Hartshorne), who emphasize God’s interaction with the unfolding of the world
| Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology .
5. Schelling as a Philosopher of the Unconscious:
Another key area of Schelling’s influence is his exploration of the unconscious. Schelling is one of the first philosophers to emphasize the importance of unconscious drives and forces, a theme later developed in psychoanalysis. He argued that the unconscious was not just a passive reservoir of repressed ideas (as in Freud), but an active, creative force.
• Perspective: This notion of the unconscious as creative and primordial has been of interest to thinkers like Carl Jung, who viewed Schelling’s work as foreshadowing the psychological depth of human experience and the archetypal nature of the unconscious
| Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology.
6. Schelling as a Philosopher of Art:
Schelling’s Philosophy of Art is also significant, as he believed that art provides a unique way of accessing the absolute, reconciling the finite with the infinite, the conscious with the unconscious. For Schelling, art represented the highest expression of the unity between freedom and necessity.
• Perspective: Schelling’s thoughts on aesthetics influenced many later thinkers, particularly within German Romanticism. His view that art is a way to overcome the limitations of rational thought has remained influential in both aesthetic philosophy and theories of creativity.
Conclusion:
While Žižek’s view of Schelling as a “vanishing mediator” focuses on his transitional role between Kant and Hegel, other perspectives emphasize his lasting contributions to philosophy, especially in areas like nature, freedom, existentialism, theology, and the unconscious. Schelling is increasingly recognized not just as a bridge between thinkers, but as a significant and innovative philosopher in his own right. His ideas continue to resonate with contemporary thought, particularly in ecological philosophy, existentialism, and the philosophy of the unconscious.
