Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 9.djvu/145

 F I C H T E 135 Practical Reason as clearly indicated the view that the moral law is the absolute content or substance of any religion. A critical investigation of the notion of revealed religion, an examination of the conditions under which religious bslief was possible, was still, therefore, an open problem. Fichte s essay was forwarded by him to Kant, who approved it highly, extended to the author a most warm reception, and exerted his influence to procure a publisher for the work. After some delay, consequent on the scruples of the theological censor of Halle, who did not like to see miracles rejected, the book appeared at Easter, 1792. By an over sight of the publisher, Fichte s name did not appear on the title page, nor was the preface given, in which the author spoke of himself as a beginner in philosophy. Considering then the principles applied and the results reached, it was not unnatural that outsiders should ascribe the work to Kant himself. The Allgemeine Literatur-Zeitung went so far as to say that no one who had read a line of Kant s immortal writings could fail to recognize the eminent author of this new work. The mistake was soon rectified by Kant himself, who publicly announced the true author, at the same time highly commending the work. By this fortunate error Fichte s reputation was secured at a stroke, and he soon reaped the benefits of fame. The Critique of Revelation is deserving of particular notice, since it marks the culminating point of Fichte s Kantian period. The exposition of the conditions under which revealed religion is possible turns upon the absolute requirements of the moral law in human nature. Religion itself is the belief in this moral law as divine, and such belief is a practical postulate, necessary in order to add force to the law. It follows that no revealed religion, so far as matter or substance is concerned, can contain anything beyond this law ; nor can any fact in the world of experience be recognized by us as supernatural The supernatural element in religion can only be the divine character of the moral law. Now, the revelation of this divine character of morality is possible only to a being in whom the lower impulses have been or are successful in overcoming reverence for the law. In such a case it is con ceivable that a revelation might be given in order to add strength to the moral law. lleligion ultimately then rests upon the practical reason, and expresses some demand or want of the pure ego or human will. In this conclusion we can trace the prominence assigned by Fichte to the practical element, and the tendency to make the require ments of the ego the ground for all judgment on reality. It was not possible that having reached this point he should not press forward and leave the Kantian position. Fichte s literary success was coincident with an improve ment in the fortunes of the Eahn family. There seemed now no reason for delaying his marriage, which accordingly took place at Zurich in October 1793. The remainder of the year he spent in retirement at Zurich, slowly perfecting his thoughts on the fundamental problems left for solution in the Kantian philosophy. During this period also he published anonymously two remarkable political works, Zuriiickforderung der DenJcfreiheit von den Fiirsten Eiir- opa s, and Beitrdge zur Berichtigung der Urtheile des Publicums iiber* die franzosische Revolution. Of these the latter is much the more important. The French Revolution seemed to many earnest thinkers the one great outcry of modern times for the liberty of thought and action which is the eternal heritage of every human being. Unfortun ately the political condition of Germany was unfavourable to the formation of an unbiassed opinion on the great movement. The principles involved in it were lost sight of under the mass of spurious maxims on social order which had slowly grown up and stiffened into system. To direct attention to the true nature of revolution, to demon strate how inextricably the right of liberty is interwoven with the very existence of man as an intelligent agent, to point out the inherent progressiveness of state arrangements, and the consequent necessity of reform or amendment, such are the main objects of the Beitrdge ; and although, as is often the case with Fichte, the arguments are too formal and the distinctions too wire-drawn, yet the general idea is nobly conceived and carried out. As in the Critique of Revelation so here the rational nature of man and the con ditions necessary for its manifestation or realization become the standard for critical judgment. Towards the close of 1793 Fichte received an invitation to fill the post of extraordinary professor of philosophy at Jena, vacant by the transference of Reinhold to Kiel. This chair, though not in the ordinary faculty, had become, through Reinhold, the most important in the university, and great deliberation was exercised in selecting his successor. It was desired to secure an able exponent of Kantianism, and none seemed so highly qualified as the author of the Critique of Revelation. Fichte, while accept ing the call, at first desired to delay entry on his duties for a year, in order to be more thoroughly prepared ; but as this was deemed inexpedient, he rapidly drew out an introductory outline of his system for the use of his students, and began his lectures in May 1794. His success was instantaneous and complete. The fame of his predecessor was altogether eclipsed ; as Forberg writes, &quot; Fichte is believed in as Reinhold never was. The students understand him even less than they did his predecessor, but they believe all the more earnestly on that account.&quot; Much of this success was undoubtedly due to Fichte s rare power as a lecturer. In oral exposition the vigour of thought and moral inten sity of the man were most of all apparent, while his prac tical earnestness completely captivated his hearers. He lectured not only on philosophy to his own class, but on general moral subjects to all students of the university. These general addresses, published under the title Vocation of the Scholar (Bestimmung des Gelehrten), were on a subject very dear to Fichte s heart, the supreme importance of the highest intellectual culture and the duties incumbent on those who had received it. Their tone is stimulating and lofty. The years spent at Jena were unusually productive; indeed, the completed Fichtean philosophy is contained in the writings of this period. A general introduction to the system is given in the tractate On the Notion of the Theory of Science (Ueber den Begriff der Wissenschaftslehre, 1794), and the theoretical portion is worked out in the Foundation of the ivhole Theory of Science (Grundlage der gesammten Wissenschaftslehre, 1794), and Outline of ivhat is peculiar inthe Theory of Science (Grundrissdes Eigenthum- lichen d. Wissenschaftslehre, 1794). To these were added in 1797 a First and a Second Introduction to the Theory of Science,and an Essay towards a neio Exposition of the Theory of Science. The Introductions are masterly expositions. The practical philosophy, which was with Fichte the fundamen tal, was given in the Grundlage des Naturrechts, 1796, and System der Sittenlehre, 1798. The last is, we think, the most important of all Fichte s works ; apart from it, his theoretical philosophy is unintelligible and absurd. During this period of literary activity Fichte s academic career bad been troubled by various storms, the last so violent as to put a close to his professoriate at Jena. The first of them, a complaint against the delivery of his general addresses on Sundays, was easily got over. The second, arising from Fichte s strong desire to suppress the Lands- mannschaften, or student s orders, which were productive of much harm, was more serious. Some misunderstanding caused an outburst of ignorant ill-feeling on the part of the students, who proceeded to such lengths that Fichte vjas