German Classical Philosophy

The Philosophy of J.G. Fichte

Life and Major Works of Fichte

Johann Gottlieb Fichte (1762-1814) was born in the village of Rammenau in Saxony to a family of artisans. A significant influence in his life was the local landowner, von Miltitz, who, upon recognizing the boy's extraordinary abilities, took care of his education and upbringing. After completing his studies at a monastic school, Fichte attended the University of Jena in 1789 and later the University of Leipzig. In 1784, he began his career as a private tutor, teaching in various locations in Saxony and, from 1788 for a year and a half, in Zurich, Switzerland. In 1790, he returned to Leipzig, making numerous attempts to find a position that aligned with his spirit and financial needs, but ultimately had to return to private tutoring. Another twist in his fate occurred when a student requested paid lessons in Kantian philosophy, with which Fichte had previously had little engagement. The necessity of teaching compelled him to delve deeply into Kant’s works, and soon critical philosophy captivated him to the extent that he forgot all his life’s hardships. His immediate goal became mastering Kantian philosophy. In the summer of 1791, Fichte traveled to Königsberg to meet the great philosopher, whom he now referred to as “the pride of the human spirit.”

Fichte's academic career began at the University of Jena in 1794. In the same year, he wrote works such as "On the Concept of Science Doctrine, or the So-Called Philosophy" and "Foundations of General Science Doctrine," specifically preparing them for his students. His time in Jena lasted five years, after which he moved to Berlin, where he completed previously planned works, including "The Vocation of Man" (1800) and "The Closed Commercial State" (1800). In 1804, he received offers from Russia to take a philosophy chair at the newly established University of Kharkiv, as well as from Bavaria. Hesitant to travel to Kharkiv and dissatisfied with the working conditions in Bavaria, Fichte lectured at the University of Erlangen (Prussia) until the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War in 1806. The war forced him to move between various cities, and he even taught in Königsberg, Kant’s birthplace. Upon returning to Berlin in 1807, Fichte gained fame through his "Addresses to the German Nation." In 1810, with the opening of the University of Berlin, he was elected as its first rector. Although he held this position for a short time, he remained at the Berlin University until his death in 1814. The energy, even fervor, with which Fichte served philosophy can be encapsulated in his own words: “I do not think about myself at all; I burn for the truth, and what I consider to be true, I will always repeat with as much vigor and determination as I can.”