Who Knows? On Schelling’s Monism



• Who Knows? On Schelling’s Monism

  Item Type	Journal Article
  Author	Benjamin Norris
  Abstract	This article argues that when viewed as the culmination of an evolving project, Schelling’s monism ought to be understood as an existence monism as opposed to a priority monism. It makes this case through an analysis of the young Schelling’s relationship to Neoplatonism and Spinozism. After presenting Naomi Fisher’s case for reading Schelling as a priority monist inspired by the Neoplatonists it argues that the themes of eternity and duration in Spinoza’s Ethics provide Schelling the framework for defeating what he calls the “subjectivization” of reason in the 1804 System of Philosophy. This defeat is accomplished by the elimination of any ontological distinction between who knows, what is known, and knowledge itself. The elimination of these distinctions entails a form of existence monism without need for the Neoplatonic dynamics of procession and return. The article concludes with some implications of the defense of existence monism provided therein regarding the transition from Schelling’s system of identity to his system of freedom.
  Date	2026
  Language	English
  Library Catalog	193; 113; 115; 126; 210
  License	© 2026 by Aletheia - Associação Científica e Cultural
  Volume	82
  Place	Braga
  Publisher	Axioma - Publicações da Faculdade de Filosofia
  Section	Schelling’s Legacy in Contemporary Philosophy. Celebrating the 250th Anniversary of Schelling’s Birth
  Pages	153-170
  Publication	Revista Portuguesa de Filosofia
  DOI	10.17990/RPF/2026_82_1_0153
  Issue	1-2
  Journal Abbr	RPF
  ISSN	0870-5283 ; 2183-461X
  Date Added	7/31/2026, 8:54:20 PM
  Modified	8/1/2026, 2:02:13 PM

  Tags:

  • Schelling
  • Eternity
  • Individuality
  • Monism
  • Neoplatonism
  • Spinoza

  Notes:

  • Alderwick, Charlotte. Schelling’s Ontology of Powers. Edinburgh University Press, 2022.

    Fisher, Naomi. Schelling’s Mystical Platonism: 1792-1802. Oxford University Press, 2024.

    Hogrebe, Wolfram. Predication and Genesis: Metaphysics as Fundamental Heuristic after Schelling’s Ages of the World. Translated and edited by Iain Hamilton Grant and Jason M. Wirth. Edinburgh University Press, 2024.

    Jaquet, Chantal. Time, Duration and Eternity in Spinoza. Translated by Eric Aldieri. Edinburgh University Press, 2025.

    Norris, Benjamin. Schelling and Spinoza: Realism, Idealism, and the Absolute. State University of New York Press, 2022.

    Norris, Benjamin. “Life and Parallelism in Schelling’s Critique of Spinoza” in Kabiri: The Official Journal of the North American Schelling Society, Vol 4. (2024): 78-99.

    Schaffer, Jonathan. “Monism: The Priority of the Whole” in Philosophical Review 119 no.1 (2010): 31-76. DOI 10.1215/00318108-2009-025.

    Schelling, F. W. J.. “Of the I as Principle of Philosophy, or On the Unconditional in Human Knowledge.” In The Unconditional in Human Knowledge: Four Early Essays (1794-1796) by F. W. J. Schelling. Translated and edited by Fritz Marti. Associated University Presses Inc., 1980.

    Schelling, F. W. J.. Bruno, or, On the Natural and Divine Principle of Things. Translated by Michael G. Vater. State University of New York Press, 1984.

    Schelling, F. W. J.. “System of Philosophy in General and of the Philosophy of Nature in Particular.” In Idealism and the Endgame of Theory: Three Essays by F. W. J. Schelling. Translated and edited by Thomas Pfau. State University of New York Press, 1994.

    Spinoza, Baruch. Spinoza: Complete Works. Translated by Samuel Shirley and edited by Michael L. Morgan. Hackett Publishing Company Inc., 2002.