Through the German philosophers Immanuel Kant and Friedrich Schelling, H.C. Ørsted was inspired by a philosophical tradition that was both metaphysical and theoretical. In my lecture I will focus mainly on the metaphysical aspects of this romantic philosophy that inspired Ørsted in his scientific work and stubborn attitude towards nature. Through examples from his physics and chemistry, I will illuminate Ørsted's dynamic worldview and the scientific concepts that are alien to us today, but which he used to explain phenomena such as light, heat, electrical current and chemical affinity. The key concepts here are polarity and constantly interacting opposing forces.
