From Religious Philosophy to Philosophy of Religion. A Path in Schelling’s Late Philosophy

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to support the thesis that Schelling’s late philosophy (1827-1854) progressively transforms from a religious philosophy to a philosophy of religion. Accordingly, (Christian) religion, initially taken as an auxiliary and guiding source of philosophical reflection, gradually becomes a specific object of philosophical speculation. The paper analyzes this change by identifying three phases of Schelling’s Spätphilosophie. Finally, it offers an account of the epistemological framework within which Schelling’s philosophy of religion fits and highlights its originality from those of his contemporaries.