4. Fourth Lecture: Positing Explained

In this lecture, we will explore Fichte's concept of the positing of the “I” step by step. First, we begin with the positing of the “I” as a subject becoming conscious of its own existence (“I is I”). This is followed by the definition of the limits of the “I” through its opposition to the “Not-I.” Essentially, this means that the “I” encounters an opposing force—the “Not-I”—which restricts its ability to expand infinitely, creating boundaries for the “I.” Together, these two opposing forces are synthesized into the “Absolute I,” which unifies them into a single, interconnected system. This synthesis allows for the functioning of a dynamic system (in the form of thesis, antithesis, and synthesis) that explains Kant’s a priori categories of Quantity, Quality, and Modality.


Positing of the "I."

The critical idea here is straightforward: Fichte shows how the positing of the "I" (as the very first principle) is the fundamental basis of all that follows. In other words, the starting point is the moment the "I" reflects on itself and understands the fact of its existence. He illustrates this by logically comparing "A=A" or "I is equal to I."

What makes this the basis of everything is not merely the use of the same substance for the subject and predicate (as that would not, by itself, prove the existence of either), but the fact that "I" is integral to the comparison. When one states "I=I," the ground of the comparison is also proven, as one is conscious of making the comparison.

"Not-I."

The second step (antithesis) is the appearance of the "Not-I," which occurs within the "I" itself. The "Not-I" is the creation of everything external to the "I"—the external world that the "I" is not. The "Not-I" begins to limit the "I," and vice versa. This relationship can also be formulated as "-A≠A" (or "¬I is not equal to I").

The dynamic tension between the "I" and the "Not-I" creates the limited, finite "I," because without opposition, the initially posited "I" would expand infinitely. Fichte states: "The Ego tends to fill up the infinite." With the help of the opposing "Not-I" within itself, the "I" reflects on itself and limits this drive, thereby coming into being. He writes: "Only in so far as that activity is resisted can an object be posited; no resistance, no object." This is also how consciousness is created: "The mediateness of the positing, that is, the law of consciousness — subject no object, and vice versa."

"Absolute I."

The "Absolute I" is a construct that contains the opposition between the "I" and the "Not-I." It represents an overarching synthesis of these two inseparable forces, enabling the completion of the system. As previously established, these principles operate simultaneously and are interconnected, with each existing only in relation to the others as part of a unified system. Fichte elaborates: "The form of the system is grounded in the highest synthesis; but that a system is to be at all is grounded in the absolute thesis."

When this structure is framed against Kant's categories, we see how Fichte explains the construction of Quantity: Unity as the positing of the "I," Plurality as the "I" limited by the "Not-I," and Totality as the "Absolute I." Similarly, Fichte’s concept aligns with Quality: Reality as the positing of the "I," Negation as the "Not-I," and Limitation as the transcendental "Absolute I." In the subsequent parts of The Science of Knowledge, Fichte systematically demonstrates how this dialectical framework generates Kantian categories of Relation and Modality within the "I."


For example, the "Not-I" acts as an accident in Kantian terms relative to the positing "I" as substance (part of the category of Relation). Additionally, with regard to Kant's category of Community (reciprocity), Fichte addresses this in the subchapter titled "Synthesis of the Opposition between the Two Discovered Modes of Reciprocal Determination, Causality and Substantiality."

We can also observe a direct connection between Fichte's concept of "Independent Activity," which determines and is determined through the reciprocal interplay of "Activity and Passivity" ("I" relating to the "Not-I" and vice versa), and Kant's antinomy of Freedom and Necessity. Freedom corresponds to the spontaneity of the "I" as the more active force, while Necessity represents the increasing dominance of the "Not-I," imposing conditions on and restricting the "I."

Fichte, carefully and systematically illustrating each step with examples, progresses throughout The Science of Knowledgeby combining the unity of his three principles to explain the "origin story" of Kant's categories of understanding. His goal is clear: to demonstrate how the positing of the "I" and his principles can elucidate what Kant left unexplained in the Critique of Pure Reason.

This also enables Fichte to declare: "Kant’s celebrated question, which he placed at the head of his Critique of Pure Reason, How are synthetical judgments a priori possible? has now been answered in the most universal and satisfactory manner."

In simplest terms, Fichte’s Science of Knowledge explains how Kant’s categories of understanding, the "self-conscious I," and the entirety of knowledge and reality come into being through the dialectical process of "I," "Not-I," and "Absolute I" (thesis-antithesis-synthesis). This process originates from the initial positing of the "I."