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What two principles did Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph von Schelling say operate in every living thing?
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Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph von Schelling
Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph von Schelling.
In his work Philosophische Untersuchungen Ć¼ber das Wesen der menschlichen Freiheit (1809; Of Human Freedom), Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph von Schelling posited that the possibility of human freedom is founded upon two principles that operate in every living thing:1
- A dark primal foundation: This principle manifests itself in carnal desire and impulse.1
- A clearheaded sensibleness: This principle governs as a formative power.1
Schelling argued that these elements were intended to work in harmony, with the dark stratum of impulse serving the intellect as a source of power. He suggested that the origin of evil in the world occurred when humanity reversed this order, subordinating the intellect to these impulses.1