Introduction
In his book, Doubt, Johann Gottlieb Fichte turns to the theory of determinism to answer the fundamental questions of existence: What am I, and what is my vocation? The author begins the exploration believing that determinism is a viable answer to these questions, yet by the end of the book, he is left with a sense of desperation and doubt. Determinism is the theory that all things in the world respond to the same necessary laws and that predetermined causal chains can explain all actions and events. In other words, everything is predetermined, and there is no such thing as free will. Fichte explains that if determinism is true, people are not free and do not have any value or responsibility. This thought is unsettling to him, as it would mean that his life and decisions are not his own.
Discussion
Fichte demonstrates an early openness to view determinism as a possibly acceptable answer to existence’s challenges. He studies the idea that people are not free agents and that their conduct is determined by natural laws and the environment in which they live. He considers that their actions and choices are predestined by their DNA and the outside environment and that they have no control over their lives. At first, the notion of determinism intrigues him, and he is open to the prospect that it is an accurate description of how the world works.
In addition, he wonders whether or not determinism is ultimately helpful to society, as well as whether or not it limits people’s freedom and their capacity to make choices that have significant value. Because determinism does not provide any genuine solutions to the problems raised by the issues of existence, Fichte is ultimately forced to grapple with uncertainty and hopelessness (Fichte, 2022). He has come to the conclusion that determinism is not a satisfactory response to the problems he has posed and that he has to keep looking for a more satisfactory explanation of how the universe works. Fichte is adamantly opposed to the notion that he is not free and has neither worth nor responsibility. He has a hard time grasping the concept that his life and decisions are predetermined by factors that originate from the outside. He is forced to remain in a state of ambiguity and must continue his hunt for answers.
Idealism is a philosophical philosophy that asserts that consciousness is the only thing that exists or that all things may be reduced to conceptions and mental states. It resembles philosophical monism in that all phenomena are reduced to a single kind of substance or reality. In contrast, dualism maintains that the cosmos comprises two distinct and fundamental types of objects or facts (Fitche, 2022). Fichte was an idealist, and his concept of knowledge is based on the notion that the individual is in control of their mental cosmos, which is the only thing that exists. He maintained that people are free to create worlds that are not impacted by external conditions. Determinism, on the other hand, holds that the cosmos is predetermined and that the individual has no significant influence over their destiny.
Fichte’s rejection of idealism is significant because it demonstrates a shift in viewpoint on the nature of knowledge. Rather than stressing the person’s subjective experience, Fichte’s later works stressed the objectivity of knowledge. He claimed that knowledge was an objective reality that people had to accept regardless of emotional experience. This change in knowledge thinking influenced the formation of contemporary epistemology.
Fichte’s rejection of idealism may be seen in later works such as The Science of Knowing, in which he argued that knowledge did not originate in the individual but was an objective truth that had to be recognized. This break from idealism was a watershed moment in the history of modern epistemology, setting the way for the later work of philosophers like Kant and Wittgenstein.
Finally, Fichte’s rejection of idealism had a significant role in forming contemporary epistemology. By rejecting the premise that knowledge was founded on the individual’s subjective experience, he helped pave the way for the following work by philosophers such as Kant and Wittgenstein. Furthermore, his rejection of ancient philosophical conceptions was a crucial step in developing current epistemology, setting the framework for later work by philosophers like Popper and Quine.
Faith
Faith serves as the cornerstone of Fichte’s philosophy presented in Book Three of The Vocation of Man. He claims that to grasp one’s work correctly, one must not only know but also act according to their knowledge. Suppose a person believes in their own responsibility and independence. In that case, Fichte contends that they can embrace the reality of dialectic materialism, which holds that other free rational agents exist and have rights that must be respected. According to Fichte’s (2022), central philosophical tenet, freedom and vocation are concerns of action, not theoretical speculation, also the name of one of his books.
Fichte depicts that release and vocation should not be regarded as a question of knowledge or philosophy but rather as a problem about the practice of action. He argues that a belief in the professionalism of others is the only way to accept the reflective practice or the idea that other free rational people exist and have rights that must be respected. Fichte argues that a person enters the realm of ethics and moral relations, where they have responsibilities to others and must respect their rights when they accept full responsibility for their actions. The ability to behave in line with one’s knowledge and to conceptualize the world in terms of other free rational actors depends on a firm belief in one’s own freedom and responsibility.
To put it another way, this is the kind of stuff people paid to do. This idea of vocation rests not on factual information or scholarly consensus but on the individual’s feeling of responsibility and initiative. You can accept reflexivity and behave responsibly if you have trust in your own autonomy and responsibility. Fichte claims this answers the fundamental question, “Who am I, and what is my calling?” It is one’s duty to act following their knowledge and to recognize the worth of others.
The traditional concept of vocation is fundamentally called into question by Fichte’s religious philosophy, which reveals an original alternative. In the past, choosing a career path was viewed as a question of knowledge and theory that required abstract reasoning to answer. On the other hand, Fichte thinks that an individual’s vocation can only be uncovered after they have developed a firm belief in their autonomy and responsibility. He believes that one must actively pursue one’s vocation.
Fichte’s religious philosophy, in conclusion, is radically different from the common understanding of calling. A person’s vocation now depends not on knowledge and theory but on experience and self-assurance (Fitche, 2022). By trusting in one’s own independence and responsibility, one may accept the intersubjectivity of the world and act appropriately. According to Fichte, this is the response to the original inquiry, “Who am I and what is my calling?” A person’s calling is to behave following their understanding and respect the rights of others.
Marx, Economic Philosophic Manuscripts
Marx’s economic and philosophical writings, released in 1844, are regarded as early works by Marx and give insight into his philosophy, which is based on Hegel. In his understanding of Hegel, Kojeve was inspired by Marx, and this connection is crucial to remember while reading this book. This lecture note will cover dialectic, dialectic materialism, Marx’s criticism of political economy, alienated labor, and communism. Dialectic is a “logic of contradiction” experience and reality process. Contradiction, according to Hegel, is the root of all movement and life, and nothing real or alive is without it. According to him, the flow of experience is propelled by contradiction—by barriers, resistance, negativity, and crisis (all of which are synonyms for ‘contradiction’). Furthermore, dialectic learning is essential to comprehend how to overcome obstacles and go forward.
Marx adheres to Hegel’s dialectic and contends that history follows the logic of contradiction. What Marx calls dialectic materialism differentiates him from Hegel since actual circumstances of existence and activity drive history rather than differences in intellect or ideas Material events include wages, housing, food, rest, transportation, and other economic difficulties. Marx claims that material circumstances shape and affect how we think and construct ideas. This was Marx’s principal objection to Hegel’s claim that thinking impacts reality.
Allusions to alienated work abound throughout Marx’s writings. alienated work occurs when labor fails to emancipate us and aids in our enslavement. According to Marx (2022), alienation happens during the production process when the worker “becomes a slave to his goods” since the manufactured item is not her own, and the worker sells her productive potential to the capitalist. Furthermore, alienation is a social phenomenon in which the worker is isolated from others and reverts to the position of an animal battling for survival. Marx also discusses his views on communism, which is an essential topic to research. Marx saw communism as an “ideal” toward which history may progress, in which labor is no longer alienated but instead becomes an expression of our self. Marx views communism as going through phases, of which the political form is just one. Finally, communism is a humane concept of regaining one’s liberty.
Finally, Marx’s economic and philosophical works provide light on his philosophy, which follows in the footsteps of Hegel. The most significant takeaway from this book is Marx’s dialectic materialism thesis, which holds that material circumstances of existence and activity form and decide how we think and what ideas we have. Marx’s notion of alienated labor, as well as his views on communism, are both worth investigating.
Nietzsche, On the Advantages and Disadvantages of History for Life
Friedrich Nietzsche discusses the significance of history in the lives of people and societies in his essay, On the Advantage and Disadvantage of History for Life. Nietzsche contends that history has the capacity to be both useful and damaging to existence and that its utility can only be realized when the three kinds of history – monumental, antiquarian, and critical – are balanced. Nietzsche (1980) goes on to discuss how contemporary man’s need to amass an excess of information may be harmful to living a meaningful life, and how, in the concluding chapter, Christian theology and Hegelianism have contributed to the preoccupation with history.
Nietzsche opens the article by differentiating between favorable and detrimental historical awareness, saying that Germany’s “historical fever” at the time was a cultural sickness. He claims that the weight of memory distinguishes humans from animals and that, when history is to serve life, it is best seen in an “unhistorical” manner. He then distinguishes three types of history: monumental, antiquarian, and critical, and argues that a balance of all three is required for history to be useful in everyday life. Nietzsche next explores how the enormous superfluity of information might prevent a culture from realizing its full potential and cites five difficulties that the overemphasis on history can bring.
Conclusion
Nietzsche examines justice and discernment in the sixth chapter, arguing that excellent historians are uncommon since objectivity is difficult and hampered by one’s age. He then discusses the concept of annihilating history and how it might kill the present by focusing on the specifics of the past. Nietzsche (1980) then challenges the well-known concepts of Edouard von Hartmann, arguing that his notion of a “world process” is a “joke”, and that magnificent deeds take place in “timeless simultaneity”. Finally, Nietzsche contends that veneration for history stems from its connection with religion and that the remedy to the “epidemic of historicism” is a return to the natural, through the unhistorical and superhistorical. A meaningful existence can only be lived through participating in “timeless simultaneity” and actively connecting with the present and only then can history be useful to living.
References
Fichte, J. G. (2022). Book I. Doubt. The Vocation of Man., 1–35. Web.
Fichte, J. G. (2022). Book II. Knowledge. The Vocation of Man., 36–92. Web.
Fichte, J. G. (2022). Book III. Faith. The Vocation of Man., 93–176. Web.
Marx, K. (2022). Economic and philosophic manuscripts of 1844. Economica, 26(104), 379. Web.
Nietzsche, F. W. (1980). Nietzsche, on the advantages and disadvantages of history for life, (P. Preuss, Trans.,1st ed.). Hacket Publishing Company.