Perception, extension and space: Fichte’s final brush strokes on Kant’s canvas

Abstract

This paper considers the 1810-11 version of the <i>Thatsachen des Bewusstseins</i> as Fichte’s final brush strokes on Kant’s canvas. It takes a closer look at Kant’s claim that there is no such thing as a merely partial representation of space. The question is: what shape does this doctrine take in <i>Fichte’s Thatsachen des Bewusstseins</i>? On the one hand, there is something very similar to Kant’s view in Fichte’s analysis of external perception (<i>äußere Wahrnehmung</i>) and its essential components. On the other hand, this superfi cial resemblance disguises a deeper dissimilarity: almost everything Fichte says on this subject entails a significant shift away from Kant.