Description
Johann Gottlieb Fichte (1762–1814) was the founding figure of the philosophical movement known as German idealism, a branch of thought which grew out of Kant's critical philosophy. Fichte's work formed the crucial link between eighteenth-century Enlightenment thought and philosophical, as well as literary, Romanticism. Some of his ideas also foreshadow later nineteenth- and twentieth-century developments in philosophy and in political thought, including existentialism, nationalism and socialism. This volume offers essays on all the major aspects of Fichte's philosophy, ranging from the successive versions of his foundational philosophical science or Wissenschaftslehre, through his ethical and political thought, to his philosophies of history and religion. All the main stages of Fichte's philosophical career and development are charted, and his ideas are placed in their historical and intellectual context. New readers will find this the most convenient and accessible guide to Fichte currently available. Advanced students and specialists will find a conspectus of recent developments in the interpretation of Fichte.
Table of Contents
Introduction Günter Zöller; 1. From Kant to Fichte Wayne M. Martin; 2. Fichte and the French Revolution Frederick Beiser; 3. Fichte's explanation of the dynamic structure of consciousness in the 1794–5 Wissenschaftslehre Christian Klotz; 4. The Wissenschaftslehre of 1796–9 (nova methodo) Daniel Breazeale; 5. Fichte's later presentations of the Wissenschaftslehre Günter Zöller; 6. Fichte's philosophy of right and ethics Allen W. Wood; 7. Fichte's political economy and his theory of property Jean-Christophe Merle; 8. The Wissenschaftslehre and historical engagement Ives Radrizzani; 9. Ending individuality: the mission of a nation in Fichte's Addresses to the German Nation Alexander Aichele; 10. Fichte's philosophy of religion Hansjürgen Verweyen; 11. Fichte and the development of early German romantic philosophy Elizabeth Millán; 12. Fichte and Schelling: the limitations of the Wissenschaftslehre Sebastian Gardner; 13. Fichte and Hegel on recognition and slavery David James; 14. Fichte's position: anti-subjectivism, self-awareness and self-location in the space of reasons Paul Franks; Bibliography; Index.
