6. Sixth Lecture: Fichte’s Approach to the Unconscious and the Evolutionary Truth

This lecture is one that has evolved over time. We will explore several interconnected topics, including Fichte’s relationship to and influence on the concept of the unconscious, the notion of Evolutionary Truth, and even the idea of “sneaking in God.” My aim is to demonstrate these connections through a classic approach, intertwining existential, theological, ontological, cosmological, and epistemological arguments as they relate to Fichte.

I do not claim definitively or in a conclusive sense that Fichte believed in both God and the unconscious as intertwined concepts. However, I will present these as plausible — and for many, the most probable — interpretations, particularly when considering the structures of his moral philosophy.

In Fichte's work, we find numerous recognitions of the influence of the unconscious on the subject. At first glance, his system may appear to have a finalized solipsistic structure, where any absolute or uncertain values are replaced by the concrete elements of the individual "I."

At times, Fichte himself deepens this impression of a solipsistic structure. For instance, he states: "I become the sole source of all my own being and its phenomena; and, henceforth, unconditioned by anything without me, I have life in myself.”

However, when analyzing the finite and concrete "solipsistic-looking" structure, we inevitably encounter a remainder: an invisible, contentless "dot" or "wormhole" that connects the system to the absolute. This connection allows the primordial nothingness to "sneak in" and become the life force of the entire system. This mechanism explains how the "natural will" described by Fichte becomes obscure and blind, mirroring the constant influence of the unconscious.


Žižek adds that "the only solution is: absolute simultaneity/overlapping of self-positing and obstacle; that is, the obstacle is the excremental 'reject' of the process of self-positing, not so much posited as ejected, excreted/secreted, as the obverse of the activity of self-positing." This analysis reveals that the presence of the absolute is key to generating the "I."

We arrive at a similar conclusion when closely examining the drive of the "I." As previously discussed, the "I" (as "Ego") is "posited through its own absolute activity; it is infinite." Insofar as the Ego is absolute, it "contains in itself all reality, that is, an infinite, unlimited reality.” When the "Not-I" opposes it, a drive is generated, directly reflecting the influence of the unconscious.
Schelling evaluates this phenomenon, stating: "Consequently, the ultimate goal of all striving can also be represented as an expansion of personality ['finite I'] to infinity, that is, as its own destruction. The last goal of the finite I as well as that of the not-I, that is, the last goal of the world, is its destruction as a world, that is, as an embodiment of finiteness (of the finite I and the not-I)." This drive ("natural drive" or Naturtrieb) can be likened to Freud's death drive or Lacanian jouissance, though not from a strictly physical or biological perspective, but rather concerning its operational mechanics.

Fichte's subject seeks to limit this drive by counterbalancing it with morality derived from human autonomy ("pure drive" or Reintrieb). However, there is no definitive consensus that this "will" (as "pure drive") is merely conscious, pure, practical (Kantian) reason aimed at overcoming limitations and achieving self-realization. Let us explore this further.


In The Vocation of Man, Fichte writes: "I stand in the centre of two entirely opposite worlds: a visible world, in which action is the only moving power; and an invisible and absolutely incomprehensible world, in which will is the ruling principle. I am one of the primitive forces of both these worlds. /.../ That which we call heaven does not lie beyond the grave; it is even here diffused around us, and its light arises in every pure heart."

Thus, the "will" contains an inert, self-sufficient component—a drive toward perfection—while simultaneously being related to a transcendental whole. This description edges dangerously close to the concept of God. Fichte writes: "My entire complete vocation I cannot comprehend; what I shall be hereafter transcends all my thoughts. A part of that vocation is concealed from me; it is visible only to One, to the Father of Spirits, to whose care it is committed."


It might be premature to assert that Fichte's approach was overtly religious (one must recall that he was forced to resign from Jena precisely because his writings equated God's power with the moral order the autonomous self could impose upon itself). However, the fact that he leaves the "backdoor unlocked" for theological entry further suggests the integration of a "blind component" into the rational aspect of self-management.

We can also draw parallels between the influence of the Lacanian symbolic order (the "big Other") and the constant drive fueled by lack (objet petit a) and Fichte's "pure drive." Regarding Freud, Fichte's subject appears similarly influenced by primordial drives (the "id" as "natural drive") that must be regulated by higher values (the "super-ego" as "pure drive"). Notably, Freud's use of "I" (instead of "Ego") in his writings underscores a continuity of concept that may be stronger than often assumed.


Fichte’s statement in Psychologie: die Lehre vom bewussten Geiste des Menschen regarding dreams—"The nature of our dreams gives a far more truthful reflection of our whole disposition than we are able to learn of it from self-observation in waking life"—was later acknowledged by Freud in his Interpretation of Dreams. This insight underscores how Fichte saw dreams as a means to access our primordial (unconscious) subjectivity, which aligns with the "S0" in the model of the Evolutionary Truth.

The notion of the absolute, which is always present yet remains elusive, has been explored by many thinkers since Fichte. Žižek captures it beautifully: "What is the Absolute? Something that appears to us in fleeting experiences—say, through the gentle smile of a beautiful woman, or even through the warm, caring smile of a person who may otherwise seem ugly and rude: in such miraculous but extremely fragile moments, another dimension transpires through our reality. As such, the Absolute is easily corroded; it slips all too easily through our fingers, and must be handled as carefully as a butterfly." Recognizing the constant presence of this dimension is central to understanding both the principle and the possibility of our autonomous freedom.

In conclusion, the unconscious is not merely a peripheral concept in Fichte’s philosophy; it is the life force that enables the structure of the “I” to function. We can recognize the absolute in others precisely because we carry it within ourselves. Rarely, we connect with this individual absolute—whether through fleeting moments in everyday life or through dreams. Fichte’s contributions to conceptualizing the “I,” combined with its underlying unconscious structure, anticipate psychological theories formulated long after his time.

In the simplest terms, Fichte’s understanding of the “I,” its foundational structure, and the will that drives it is deeply interwoven with the unconscious dimension. A careful analysis using modern concepts reveals the enduring relevance of his ideas.