The Unity of Transcendence and Immanence in Schelling’s Theory of Art Production

Art in Schelling’s System of Transcendental Idealism is normally considered to be a direct and irrational leap from immanence to transcendence, liberating consciousness from the structure of differentiation to absolute identity. I challenge this view on two grounds. First, transcendence and immanence, or absolute identity and consciousness, are not mutually exclusive but intrinsically unified within the principle of productivity. Second, art is not a leap from one side to the other but a full enactment of productivity, thereby revealing the unity of immanence and transcendence—each affirming itself only through the other. In conclusion, Schelling redefines transcendence and immanence from the standpoint of productivity, diverging from common scholarly interpretations as well as the philosophies of Plotinus and Spinoza. The transcendent is the intrinsic vitality that drives the ceaseless generation and transformation of finite determinations in the immanent realm. In turn, immanence is the dynamic medium through which the transcendent actualizes its freedom and posits itself as a real transcendent.