circle　are　all　figures。　The　possibility　of　the　difference　of　all　things　in　association　with　perfect　unity　in
  the　Notion　lies　in　the　manner　in　which　the　particular　in　them　is　combined　with　the　universal。　In　the
  Absolute　this　altogether　disappears；　because　it　pertains　to　the　very　idea　of　the　Absolute　that　the
  particular　in　it　is　also　the　universal；　and　the　universal　the　particular；　and　further　that　by　means　of　this
  unity　form　and　existence　are　also　one　in　it。　Consequently；　in　regard　to　the　Absolute；　from　the　fact
  of　its　being　the　Absolute；　there　likewise　follows　the　absolute　exclusion　from　its　existence　of　all
  difference；　and　that　at　once。”　（14）
  In　the　former　of　the　two　above…named　works；　the　“Journal　of　Speculative　Physics；”　Schelling
  began　by　again　bringing　forward　the　Substance　of　Spinoza；　simple；　absolute　Existence；　inasmuch
  as　he　makes　his　starting…point　the　absolute　identity　of　the　subjective　and　objective。　Here；　like
  Spinoza；　he　employed　the　method　of　geometry；　laying　down　axioms　and　proving　by　means　of
  propositions；　then　going　on　to　deduce　other　propositions　from　there；　and　so　on。　But　this　method
  has　no　real　application　to　philosophy。　Schelling　at　this　point　laid　down　certain　forms　of　difference；
  to　which　he　gave　the　name　of　potencies；　adopting　the　term　from　Eschenmayer；　who　made　use　of　it
  （p。　514）；（15）　they　are　ready…made　differences；　which　Schelling　avails　himself　of。　But　philosophy
  must　not　take　any　forms　from　other　sciences；　as　here　from　mathematics。　With　Schelling；　the
  leading　form　is　that　which　was　brought　into　remembrance　again　by　Kant；　the　form　of　triplicity　as
  first；　second；　and　third　potency。
  Schelling；　like　Fichte；　begins　with　I　=　I；　or　with　the　absolute　intuition；　expressed　as　proposition　or
  definition　of　the　Absolute；　that　Reason　is　the　absolute　indifference　of　subject　and　object：　so　that　it
  is　neither　the　one　nor　the　other；　for　both　have　in　it　their　true　determination；　and　their　opposition；
  like　all　others；　is　utterly　done　away　with。　The　true　reality　of　subject　and　object　is　placed　in　this
  alone；　that　the　subject　is　not　posited　in　the　determination　of　subject　against　object；　as　in　the
  philosophy　of　Fichte；　it　is　not　determined　as　in　itself　existent；　but　as　subject…object；　as　the　identity
  of　the　two；　in　the　same　way　the　object　is　not　posited　according　to　its　ideal　determination　as　object；
  but　in　as　far　as　it　is　itself　absolute；　or　the　identity　of　the　subjective　and　objective。　But　the
  expression　“indifference”　is　ambiguous；　for　it　means　indifference　in　regard　to　both　the　one　and
  the　other；　and　thus　it　appears　as　if　the　content　of　indifference；　the　only　thing　which　makes　it
  concrete；　were　indifferent。　Schelling's　next　requirement　is　that　the　subject　must　not　be　hampered
  with　reflection；　that　would　be　bringing　it　under　the　determination　of　the　understanding；　which；
  equally　with　sensuous　perception；　implies　the　separateness　of　sensuous　things。　As　to　the　form　of　its
  existence；　absolute　indifference　is　with　Schelling　posited　as　A　=　A；　and　this　form　is　for　him　the
  knowledge　of　absolute　identity；　which；　however；　is　inseparable　from　the　Being　or　existence　of　the
  same。（16）
  Thus；　therefore；　opposition；　as　form　and　reality　or　existence；　no　doubt　appears　in　this　Absolute；
  but　it　is　determined　as　a　merely　relative　or　unessential　opposition：　“Between　subject　and　object　no
  other　than　quantitative　difference　is　possible。　For　no　qualitative　difference　as　regards　the　two　is
  thinkable；”　because　absolute　identity　“is　posited　as　subject　and　object　only　as　regards　the　form
  of　its　Being；　not　as　regards　its　existence。　There　is　consequently　only　a　quantitative　difference　left；”
  i。e。　only　that　of　magnitude：　and　yet　difference　must　really　be　understood　as　qualitative；　and　must
  thus　be　shown　to　be　a　difference　which　abrogates　itself。　This　quantitative　difference；　says
  Schelling；　is　the　form　actu：　“The　quantitative　difference　of　subjective　and　objective　is　the　basis　of
  all　finitude。　Each　determined　potency　marks　a　determined　quantitative　difference　of　the　subjective
  and　objective。　Each　individual　Being　is　the　result　of　a　quantitative　difference　of　subjectivity　and
  objectivity。　The　individual　expresses　absolute　identity　under　a　determined　form　of　Being：　“so　that
  each　side　is　itself　a　relative　totality；　A　=　B；　and　at　the　same　time　the　one　factor　preponderates　in
  the　one；　and　the　other　factor　in　the　other；　but　both　remain　absolute　identity。（17）　This　is　insufficient；
  for　there　are　other　determinations；　difference　is　undoubtedly　qualitative；　although　this　is　not　the
  absolute　determination。　Quantitative　difference　is　no　true　difference；　but　an　entirely　external
  relation；　and　likewise　the　preponderance　of　subjective　and　objective　is　not　a　determination　of
  thought；　but　a　merely　sensuous　determination。
  The　Absolute　itself；　in　so　far　as　the　positing　of　difference　is　taken　into　account；　is　defined　by
  Schelling　as　the　quantitative　indifference　of　subjective　and　objective：　in　respect　to　absolute　identity
  no　quantitative　difference　is　thinkable。　“Quantitative　difference　is　only　possible　outside　of　absolute
  identity；　and　outside　of　absolute　totality。　There　is　nothing　in　itself　outside　of　totality；　excepting　by
  virtue　of　an　arbitrary　separation　of　the　individual　from　the　whole。　Absolute　identity　exists　only
  under　the　form　of　the　quantitative　indifference　of　subjective　and　objective。”　Quantitative
  difference；　which　appears　outside　of　absolute　identity　and　totality；　is　therefore；　according　to
  Schelling；　in　itself　absolute　identity；　and　consequently　thinkable　only　under　the　form　of　the
  quantitative　indifference　of　the　subjective　and　objective。　“This　opposition　does　not　therefore　occur
  in　itself；　or　from　the　standpoint　of　speculation。　From　this　standpoint　A　exists　just　as　much　as　B
  does；　for　A　like　B　is　the　whole　absolute　identity；　which　only　exists　under　the　two　forms；　but　under
  both　of　them　alike。　Absolute　identity　is　the　universe　itself。　The　form　of　its　Being　can　be　thought　of
  under　the　image　of　a　line；”　as　shown　by　the　following　scheme：
  ＋　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　＋
  A　=　B　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　A　=　B
  A　=　A
  “in　which　the　same　identity　is　posited　in　each　direction；　but　with　A　or　B　preponderating　in
  opposite　directions。”　（18）　If　we　go　into　details；　the　main　points　from　an　elementary　point　of　view
  are　the　following。
  The　first　potency　is　that　the　first　quantitative　difference　of　the　Absolute；　or　“the　first　relative
  totality　is　matter。　Proof：　A　=　B　is　not　anything　real　either　as　relative　identity　or　as　relative　duplicity。
  As　identity　A　=　B；　in　the　individual　as　in　the　whole；　can　be　expressed　only　by　the　line；〃　—　the　first
  dimension。　“But　in　that　line　A　is　posited　throughout　as　existent；”　i。e。　it　is　at　the　same　time　related
  to　B。　“Therefore　this　line　presupposes　A　=　B　as　relative　totality　throughout；　relative　totality　is
  therefore　the　first　presupposition；　and　if　relative　identity　exists；　it　exists　only　through　relative
  totality；〃　—　this　is　duplicity；　the　second　dimension。　“In　the　same　way　relative　duplicity
  presupposes　relative　identity。　Relative　identity　and　duplicity　are　contained　in　relative　totality；　not
  indeed　actu；　but　yet　potentia。　Therefore　the　two　opposites　must　mutually　extinguish　each　other　in
  a　third”　dimension。　“Absolute　identity　as　the　immediate　basis　of　the　reality　of　A　and　B　in　matter；　is
  the　force　of　gravitation。　If　A　preponderates　we　have　the　force　of　attraction；　if　B　preponderates　we
  have　that　of　expansion。　The　quantitative　positing　of　the　forces　of　attraction　and　expansion　passes
  into　the　infinite；　their　equilibrium　exists　in　the　whole；　not　in　the　individual。”　（19）　From　matter　as　the
  first　indifference　in　immediacy　Schelling　now　passes　on　to　further　determinations。
  The　second　potency　（A2）　is　light；　this　identity　itself　posited　as　existent；　in　so　far　as　A　=　B；　A2　is
  also　posited。　The　same　identity；　“posited　under　the　form　of　relative　identity；”　i。e。　of　the　polarity
  which　we　find　appearing　“in　A　and　B；　is　the　force　of　cohesion。　Cohesion　is　the　impression　made
  on　matter　by　the　self…hood”　of　light　“or　by　personality；　whereby　matter　first　emerges　as　particular
  out　of　the　universal　identity；　and　raises　itself　into　the　realm　of　form。”　Planets；　metals　and　other
  bodies　form　a　series　which　under　the　form　of　dynamic　cohesion　expresses　particular　relations　of
  cohesion；　in　which　on　the　one　hand　contraction　preponderates；　and　on　the　other　hand　expansion。
  Those　potencies　appear　with　Schelling　as　north　and　south；　east　and　west　polarity：　their
  developments　further　appear　as　north…west；　south…east；　&c。　He　counts　as　the　last　potency
  Mercury；　Venus；　the　Earth；　&c。　He　continues：　“Cohesion　outside　of　the　point　of　indifference　I　term
  passive。　Towards　the　negative　side”　（or　pole）　“fall　some　of　the　metals　which　stand　next　to　iron；
  after　them　the　so…called　precious　metals；”　then　the　“diamond；　and　lastly　carbon；　the　greatest
  passive　cohesion。　Towards　the　positive　side；　again；　some　metals　fall；　in　which　the　cohesive　nature
  of　iron　gradually　diminishes；”　i。e。　approaches　disintegration；　and　lastly　“disappears　in　nitrogen。”
  Active　cohesion　i