A decent review of the book is HERE.
Description
Schelling is often thought to be a protean thinker whose
work is difficult to approach or interpret. Devin Zane Shaw shows that the
philosophy of art is the guiding thread to understanding Schelling’s
philosophical development from his early works in 1795-1796 through his
theological turn in 1809-1810.
Schelling’s philosophy of art is the ‘keystone’ of the
system; it unifies his idea of freedom and his philosophy of nature.
Schelling’s idea of freedom is developed through a critique of the formalism of
Kant’s and Fichte’s practical philosophies, and his nature-philosophy is
developed to show how subjectivity and objectivity emerge from a common source
in nature. The philosophy of art plays a dual role in the system. First,
Schelling argues that artistic activity produces through the artwork a sensible
realization of the ideas of philosophy. Second, he argues that artistic
production creates the possibility of a new mythology that can overcome the
socio-political divisions that structure the relationships between individuals
and society. Shaw’s careful analysis shows how art, for Schelling, is the
highest expression of human freedom.
Table of Contents
Introduction \ 1. Dogmatism, Criticism, and Art \ 2. From
Nature-philosophy to the ‘Mythology of Reason’ \ 3. Artistic Activity and the
Subversion of Transcendental Idealism \ 4. Substance and History: Absolute
Idealism and Art \ 5. From Art and Nature to Freedom and Revelation \
Conclusion \ Bibliography \ Index
