Biography Johann Gottlieb Fichte

1 biography

1.1 origins
1.2 schooling
1.3 theological studies , private tutoring
1.4 kant
1.5 jena
1.6 atheism dispute
1.7 berlin

biography
origins

fichte born in rammenau, upper lusatia. son of ribbon weaver, came of peasant stock had lived in region many generations. family noted in neighborhood probity , piety. christian fichte, johann gottlieb s father, married above station. has been suggested impatience fichte himself displayed throughout life inheritance mother.

young fichte received rudiments of education father. showed remarkable ability, , owing reputation among villagers gained opportunity better education otherwise have received. story runs freiherr von militz, country landowner, arrived late hear local pastor preach. was, however, informed lad in neighborhood able repeat sermon practically verbatim. result, baron took lad protection, meant paid tuition.

early schooling

fichte placed in family of pastor krebel @ niederau near meissen , there received thorough grounding in classics. time onward, fichte saw little of parents. in october 1774, attending celebrated foundation-school @ pforta near naumburg. school associated names of novalis, august wilhelm schlegel, friedrich schlegel , nietzsche. spirit of institution semi-monastic and, while education given excellent in way, doubtful whether there enough social life , contact world pupil of fichte s temperament , antecedents. perhaps education strengthened tendency toward introspection , independence, characteristics appear in doctrines , writings.

theological studies , private tutoring

in 1780, began study @ theology seminary of university of jena. transferred year later study @ leipzig university. fichte seems have supported himself @ period of bitter poverty , hard struggle. freiherr von militz continued support him, when died in 1784, fichte had end studies prematurely, without completing degree.

during years 1784 1788, supported himself in precarious way tutor in various saxon families. in 1788, returned leipzig in hope of finding better employment, had settle less promising position family of innkeeper in zurich. lived in zurich next 2 years (1788–1790), time of great contentment him. there met future wife, johanna rahn, , johann heinrich pestalozzi. there became in 1793 member of freemasonry lodge modestia cum libertate johann wolfgang goethe connected. in spring of 1790, became engaged johanna. in summer of 1790, fichte began study works of kant, occurred because 1 of students wanted know them. had lasting effect on trajectory of life , thought. while assimilating kantian philosophy , preparing develop it, fate dealt him blow: rahn family had suffered financial reverses, , impending marriage had postponed.

kant

from zurich, fichte returned leipzig in may 1790. in spring of 1791, obtained tutorship @ warsaw in house of polish nobleman. situation, however, proved disagreeable , released. got chance see kant @ königsberg. after disappointing interview on july 4 of same year, shut himself in lodgings , threw energies composition of essay compel kant s attention , interest. essay, completed in 5 weeks, versuch einer critik aller offenbarung (attempt @ critique of revelation, 1792). in book fichte investigated connections between divine revelation , kant s critical philosophy. first edition of book published without kant or fichte s knowledge, without fichte s name or signed preface. mistakenly thought new work kant himself. reviews assuming kant author when kant cleared confusion , openly praised work , author. fichte s reputation skyrocketed many intellectuals of day of opinion shocking , astonishing news... [since] nobody kant have written book. amazing news of third sun in philosophical heavens has set me such confusion .

jena

in october 1793, married in zurich, remained rest of year. stirred events , principles of french revolution, wrote , anonymously published 2 pamphlets led him being seen devoted defender of liberty of thought , action , advocate of political changes. in december of same year, received invitation fill position of extraordinary professor of philosophy @ university of jena. accepted , began lectures in may of next year. extraordinary zeal, expounded system of transcendental idealism . success immediate. seems have excelled lecturer because of earnestness , force of personality. these lectures later published under title vocation of scholar (einige vorlesungen über die bestimmung des gelehrten). gave himself intense production, , succession of works appeared.

atheism dispute

after weathering couple of academic storms, dismissed jena in 1799 result of charge of atheism. accused of atheism in 1798 after publishing essay ueber den grund unsers glaubens eine göttliche weltregierung ( on ground of our belief in divine world-governance ), had written in response friedrich karl forberg s essay development of concept of religion, in philosophical journal. fichte, god should conceived in moral terms: living , efficaciously acting moral order god. require no other god, nor can grasp other ( on ground of our belief in divine world-governance ).

fichte s intemperate appeal public ( appellation das publikum , 1799) provoked f. h. jacobi publish open letter fichte, in equated philosophy in general , fichte s transcendental philosophy in particular nihilism.

berlin

since german states except prussia had joined in cry against him, forced go berlin. there associated himself schlegels, schleiermacher, schelling , tieck.

in april 1800, through introduction of hungarian writer ignaz aurelius fessler, initiated freemasonry in lodge pythagoras of blazing star elected minor warden. @ first fichte warm admirer of fessler, , disposed aid him in proposed masonic reform. later became fessler s bitter opponent. controversy attracted attention among freemasons. fichte presented 2 lectures on philosophy of masonry during same period part of work on development of various higher degrees lodge in berlin. johann karl christian fischer, high official of grand orient, published lectures in 1802/03 in 2 volumes under title philosophy of freemasonry: letters konstant (philosophie der maurerei. briefe konstant), konstant referred fictitious non-mason.

in november 1800, fichte published closed commercial state: philosophical sketch appendix doctrine of right , example of future politics (der geschlossene handelsstaat. ein philosophischer entwurf als anhang zur rechtslehre und probe einer künftig zu liefernden politik), philosophical statement of property theory, historical analysis of european economic relations, , political proposal reforming them.

in 1805, appointed professorship in erlangen. disaster @ jena in 1806, in napoleon crushed prussian army, drove him königsberg time, returned berlin in 1807 , continued literary activity.

the deplorable situation of germany stirred him depths , led him deliver famous addresses german nation (reden die deutsche nation, 1808) guided uprising against napoleon. became professor of new university @ berlin founded in 1810. votes of colleagues fichte unanimously elected rector in succeeding year. but, once more, impetuosity , reforming zeal led friction, , resigned in 1812. campaign against napoleon began, , hospitals @ berlin full of patients. fichte s wife devoted herself nursing , caught virulent fever. recovering, himself stricken down. died of typhus @ age of 51.

his son, immanuel hermann fichte (18 july 1796 – 8 august 1879), made contributions philosophy.