Page:History of Modern Philosophy (Falckenberg).djvu/475

PHILOSOPHY OF NATURE. 453 surface force of electricity, the basis of the qualities per- ceivable by sense; the tri-dimensional force of the chemical process, in which the two former are united, produces the chemical qualities. Galvanism forms the transition to living nature, in which through the operation of the "copula " these three dynamical categories are raised to organic categories. To magnetism as the most general, and hence the lowest force, corresponds reproduction (the formative impulse, as nutrition, growth, and production, including the artistic impulse) ; electricity develops into irritability or excitability ; the higher analogue to the chemical process as the most individual and highest stage is sensibility or the capacity of feeling. (Such at least is Schelling's doctrine after Steffens had convinced him of the higher dignity of that which is individual, whereas at first he had made sensibility parallel with magnetism, and reproduction with chemism, because the former two appear most seldom, and the latter most frequently. Electricity and irritability always maintained their intermediate position.) With the awakening of feeling nature has attained its goal — intelligence. As inorganic substances are distinguished only by relative degrees of repulsion and attraction, so the differentiation of organisms is condi- tioned by the relation of the three vital functions: in the lower forms reproduction predominates, then irritability gradually increases, while in the highest forms both of these are subordinated to sensibility. All species, how- ever, are connected by a common life, all the stages are but arrests of the same fundamental force. This accentu- ation of the unity of nature, which establishes a certain kinship between Schelling's philosophy of nature and Dar- winism, was a great idea, which deserves the thanks of posterity in spite of such defects as its often sportive, often heedlessly bold reasoning in details. The parallelism of the potencies of nature, as we have developed it by leaving out of account the numerous dif- ferences between the various expositions of the Natur- philosoifhie, may be shown by a table :