F. Schelling and V. Ivanov: "philosophy of art" and symbolism

First of all, it is necessary to analyze Schelling's Philosophy of Art', because herethe philosopher writes about the symbol in detail. At the beginning Schelling logically enough describes the symbolized reality. It istrue, that in the absolute the ideal and the reality coincide, and absolute possibility is equal to absolute reality. Here Schelling speaksabout symbolized essences. There are ''absolute things'', ''universal objects'', ideas, or gods. Gods are more real than empirical objects.They do not reflect the world, they are the world. So, ideas, gods and symbols are the same. This position is fundamentally differentfrom the modern theory of symbol, according to which symbol points at something beyond itself, at consciousness, for instance. Thisposition also contradicts the common sense, according to which symbol shows something beyond itself. We think the main idea ofSchelling is that he suggests the original idea of connection between symbol and symbolized reality. If we agree that ideas, gods andsymbols are the same, then the person can simply find necessary symbols that are equal to the first one, the symbolised the process ofcognition is directed at. V. Ivanov states that symbol is the aim of creativity. It is a sign of higher reality, and, therefore, is reality, too.But it is only the sign, only the mediator in the confessions between God and man, God and nature. Symbol is a lesser life than natureand humanity. It is the messenger from Heavens on the Earth; and liberation of nature, which art gives is only symbolic. But what is theessence of art, which may give complete liberation? Symbolism must be a religious art, and create works that show religious law.Ivanov thinks that symbolism is not only a creative method and one of the kinds of art in the history of culture, but also a generalspiritual sphere, the spirit of culture, which called the symbolic art that based on the principles of symbolic creativity to existence.V. Ivanov writes about Eternal symbolism as the spiritual essence of the world, unlimited base, to which the artist returns for newcreative ideas. This notion is especially important in the theory of Ivanov. There are many ideas common for Schelling and Ivanov, forinstance, that the mental idea and its sensual incarnation are the same, that myth is the symbol in action, that art must be mythological tobe real art, and the thought that the highest kind of art is symbolism.

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