A History of Philosophy in EpitomeSchwegler, Albert
Philosophy
A History of Philosophy in Epitome
Schwegler, Albert
Philosophy -- History
That which Fichte calls a
hindrance through the non-Ego, is thus in fact the same as Kant calls
thing essentially, the only difference being that with Fichte it is made
subjective. From this point Fichte then deduces the subjective
activities of the Ego, which mediate, or seek to mediate, theoretically,
the Ego with the non-Ego—as imagination, representation (sensation,
intuition, feeling), understanding, faculty of judgment, reason; and in
connection with this he brought out the subjective projections of the
intuition, space, and time.
We have now reached the third part of the Theory of Science, via., _the
foundation of the practical_. We have seen that the Ego represents. But
that it may represent does not depend upon the Ego alone, but is
determined by something external to it. We could in no way conceive of a
representation, except through the presupposition that the Ego finds
some hindrance to its undetermined and unlimited activity. Accordingly
the Ego, as intelligence, is universally dependent upon an indefinite,
and hitherto wholly indefinable non-Ego, and only through and by means
of such non-Ego, is it intelligence. A finite being is only finite as
intelligence. These limits, however, we shall break through. The
practical law which unites the finite Ego with the infinite, can depend
upon nothing external to ourselves. The Ego, according to all its
determinations, should be posited absolutely through itself, and hence
should be wholly independent of every possible non-Ego. Consequently,
the absolute Ego and the intelligent Ego, both of which should
constitute but one, are opposed to each other. This contradiction is
obviated, when we see that because the absolute Ego is capable of no
passiveness, but is absolute activity, therefore the Ego determines,
through itself, that hitherto unknown non-Ego, to which the hindrance
has been ascribed. The limits which the Ego, as theoretic, has set over
against itself in the non-Ego, it must, as practical, seek to destroy,
and absorb again the non-Ego in itself (or conceive it as the
self-limitation of the Ego). The Kantian primacy of the practical reason
is here made a truth. The transition of the theoretical part into the
practical, the necessity of advancing from the one to the other, Fichte
represents more closely thus:—The theoretical Theory of Science had to
do with the mediation of the Ego, and the non-Ego. For this end it
introduced one connecting link after another, without ever attaining its
end. Then enters the reason with the absolute and decisive word: “there
ought to be no non-Ego, since the non-Ego can in no way be united with
the Ego;” and with this the knot is cut, though not untied. Thus it is
the incongruity between the absolute (practical) Ego, and the finite
(intelligent) Ego, which is carried over beyond the theoretical province
into the practical. True, this incongruity does not wholly disappear,
even in the practical province, where the act is only an infinite
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