The Science of Knowing
eBook - PDF

The Science of Knowing

J. G. Fichte's 1804 Lectures on the Wissenschaftslehre

  1. 270 pages
  2. English
  3. PDF
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF

The Science of Knowing

J. G. Fichte's 1804 Lectures on the Wissenschaftslehre

About this book

The first English translation of Fichte's second set of 1804 lectures on the Wissenschaftslehre.

Considered by some to be his most important text, this series of lectures given by Johann Gottlieb Fichte (1762–1814) at his home in Berlin in 1804 is widely regarded as the most perspicuous presentation of his fundamental philosophy. Now available in English, this translation provides in striking and original language Fichte's exploration of the transcendental foundations of experience and knowing in ways that go beyond Kant and Reinhold and charts a promising, novel pathway for German Idealism. Through a close examination of this work one can see that Fichte's thought is much more than a way station between Kant and Hegel, thus making the case for Fichte's independent philosophical importance.

The text is divided into two parts: a doctrine of truth or reason, and a doctrine of appearance. A central feature of the text is its performative dimension. Philosophy, for Fichte, is something we enact rather than any discursively expressible object of awareness; a philosophical truth is not expressible as a set of propositions but is a spontaneous inwardly occurring realization. Therefore, he always regards the expression of philosophy in words as strategic, aiming to ignite philosophy's essentially inward process and to arouse the event of philosophical insight.

The new translation contains a German-English glossary and an extensive introduction and notes by the translator.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, you can cancel anytime from the Subscription tab in your account settings on the Perlego website. Your subscription will stay active until the end of your current billing period. Learn how to cancel your subscription.
No, books cannot be downloaded as external files, such as PDFs, for use outside of Perlego. However, you can download books within the Perlego app for offline reading on mobile or tablet. Learn more here.
Perlego offers two plans: Essential and Complete
  • Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
  • Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Both plans are available with monthly, semester, or annual billing cycles.
We are an online textbook subscription service, where you can get access to an entire online library for less than the price of a single book per month. With over 1 million books across 1000+ topics, we’ve got you covered! Learn more here.
Look out for the read-aloud symbol on your next book to see if you can listen to it. The read-aloud tool reads text aloud for you, highlighting the text as it is being read. You can pause it, speed it up and slow it down. Learn more here.
Yes! You can use the Perlego app on both iOS or Android devices to read anytime, anywhere — even offline. Perfect for commutes or when you’re on the go.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Yes, you can access The Science of Knowing by J. G. Fichte, Walter E. Wright in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Philosophy & Epistemology in Philosophy. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. THE SCIENCE OF KNOWING: J. G. Fichte’s 1804 Lectures on the Wissenschaftslehre
  2. Contents
  3. Acknowledgments
  4. Introduction
  5. 1. First Lecture: Monday, April 16, 1804
  6. 2. Second Lecture: Wednesday, April 18, 1804
  7. 3. Third Lecture: Thursday, April 19, 1804
  8. 4. Fourth Lecture: Friday, April 20, 1804
  9. 5. Fifth Lecture: Monday, April 23, 1804
  10. 6. Sixth Lecture: Thursday, April 26, 1804
  11. 7. Seventh Lecture: Friday, April 27, 1804
  12. 8. Eighth Lecture: Monday, April 30, 1804
  13. 9. Ninth Lecture: Wednesday, May 2, 1804
  14. 10. Tenth Lecture: Thursday, May 3, 1804
  15. 11. Eleventh Lecture: Friday, May 4, 1804
  16. 12. Twelfth Lecture: Monday, May 7, 1804
  17. 13. Thirteenth Lecture: Wednesday, May 9, 1804
  18. 14. Fourteenth Lecture: Thursday, May 10, 1804
  19. 15. Fifteenth Lecture: Friday, May 11, 1804 --N.B. Which Contains the Basic Proposition
  20. 16. Sixteenth Lecture: Tuesday, May 15, 1804
  21. 17. Seventeenth Lecture: Wednesday, May 16, 1804
  22. 18. Eighteenth Lecture: Thursday, May 17, 1804
  23. 19. Nineteenth Lecture: Friday, May 18, 1804
  24. 20. Twentieth Lecture: Wednesday, May 23, 1804
  25. 21. Twenty-first Lecture: Thursday, May 24, 1804
  26. 22. Twenty-second Lecture: Monday, May 28, 1804
  27. 23. Twenty-third Lecture: Wednesday, May 30, 1804
  28. 24. Twenty-fourth Lecture: Thursday, May 31, 1804
  29. 25. Twenty-fifth Lecture: Friday, June 1, 1804
  30. 26. Twenty-sixth Lecture: Monday, June 4, 1804
  31. 27. Twenty-seventh Lecture: Wednesday, June 6, 1804
  32. 28. Twenty-eighth Lecture: Friday, June 8, 1804
  33. Appendix
  34. Notes
  35. German-English Glossary
  36. Index