Abstract

After the publication in 1809 of On the Essence of Human Freedom, Schelling worked for several years on the near unrealizable project of the Ages of the World. In both these works, the creation of a narrative accounts for the anxiety associated with the birth of the Absolute out of itself. After a discussion of the eternal life of the Absolute, characterized by its ongoing anxious longing toward being, I investigate the narrative dimension of these works and consider the role played by anxiety and anthropomorphism. Finally, I try to determine the mythical status of Schelling’s narrative.