Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling, one of the famous German idealists, was born in Leonberg, Germany on January 27, 1797.  He is best known for his literature concerning the philosophy of the natural world, and was a key figure of the Romantic period. Naturphilosophie, the German name for his school of thought, emphasizes the importance of harmony with the natural world. This symbolizes a departure from the Enlightenment era, which prioritized science and objective explanations of natural phenomena. As its name suggests, Romanticism shifted to focus on the sentiments attached to physical phenomena. Instead of studying the science behind nature, Romanticists focused on the impact of nature on the human experience. Schelling explored the connection between human spirituality and the natural world in a way that was not typical before the onset of Romaticism.

Schelling was a prominent member of the German philosophical community until his death in 1854. His peers included Immanuel Kant, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Friedrich Engels. His other notable publications on the topic of naturphilosophie include Über die Möglichkeit einer Form der Philosophie Überhaupt and Philosophical Inquiries Concerning the Nature of Human Freedom. He was a professor of philosophy at the University of Jena as well as the University of Würzberg.