Single Idea 22060

[catalogued under 16. Persons / B. Nature of the Self / 4. Presupposition of Self]

Full Idea

According to Fichte, spontaneity, self-relatedness, and unity are the basic traits of knowledge (which includes conscience). ...This principle of all knowledge is what he calls the 'I' or the Self.

Gist of Idea

The Self is the spontaneity, self-relatedness and unity needed for knowledge

Source

report of Johann Fichte (The Science of Knowing (Wissenschaftslehre) [1st ed] [1794]) by Ludwig Siep - Fichte p.58

Book Reference

'A Companion to Continental Philosophy', ed/tr. Critchley,S/Schroeder,W [Blackwell 1999], p.58


A Reaction

This is the idealist view. He gets 'spontaneity' from Kant, which is the mind's contribution to experience. Self-relatedness is the distinctive Fichte idea. Unity presumably means total coherence, which is typical of idealists.

Related Idea

Idea 22066 Novalis sought a much wider concept of the ego than Fichte's proposal [Novalis on Fichte]