1775 – 1854
Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling was a German idealist philosopher who developed a philosophy of nature (Naturphilosophie) and later a philosophy of identity and positive philosophy. He bridged Kantian idealism and Hegelian absolute idealism, emphasizing the unity of nature and spirit, and significantly influenced later thinkers including Heidegger and process theology.
Developed Naturphilosophie, the philosophy of nature as a dynamic, self-organizing whole
Formulated the System of Transcendental Idealism (1800) unifying nature and consciousness
Created the philosophy of identity positing the absolute as indifference of subject and object
Pioneered positive philosophy and the distinction between ground and existence in God
Influenced existentialism, process theology, and Heidegger's later thought