Jason M. Wirth is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Oglethorpe University.

• Translator's Introduction Synoptic Table of Contents from Schelling First Book: The Past A. The Eternal Life of the Godhead as the Whole or the Construction of the Complete Idea of God B. The Life of the Individual Potency C. The Actual Assumption of Being (= Revelation = Birth) by God German-English Lexicon English-German Lexicon Appendix: Schelling Editions Notes Index

"'Unruly.' That is one word for Schelling's never-completed masterpiece, The Ages of the World. Those who insist that thought be brought under a rule will send this book flying across the room. Never fear: Schelling's text will soar on its own, free and daring and daunting. All who find themselves drawn to the thought of Kierkegaard or Nietzsche, Heidegger or Derrida, Bataille or Irigaray, and all who have a love of freedom and nature, will want to snatch this unruly book out of the air and study it. Jason Wirth's translation, with explanatory notes and introductory essay, is a marvel of precision and soul. With this splendid edition of the 1815 text, Wirth has performed a great service for all who continue to be inspired by the classic works of German Idealism and Romanticism." — David Farrell Krell, author of Nietzsche: A Novel