Johann Gottlieb Fichte: Band III,6: Briefe 1806–1810

In October of 1806 Fichte accompanied the Prussian Court on its flight to Königsberg before the invading French army. Most of the first half of this volume consists of the letters exchanged between Fichte, who was lecturing on a new Wissenschaftslehre (1807) in Königsberg, and his wife, who remained behind in Berlin. He returned to Berlin by way of Copenhagen, where he wrote letters in support of Johannes von Müller. In his exchange with von Müller in Berlin he composed his »Deduzierten Plan« for the new university to be established in Berlin. An open letter from Josef Kurz makes reference to Jean Paul’s »Clavis Fichtiana.« The letters also document Fichte’s experience with the censor regarding his »Reden an die Deutsche Nation,« an experience that led to his efforts to abolish censorship. Following a serious illness, Fichte made a new effort to produce a universally comprehensible version of the Wissenschaftslehre and wrote his last major philosophical letter to F. H. Jacobi.