Transformation of the Kantian table of the categories in Fichte’s Foundations of the entire science of knowledge of 1794/95

Abstract

The present paper analyses Fichte’s deduction of the categories in the Foundations of the entire Science of Knowledge (1794/95) from the perspective of Fichte’s view about the relation between his system and the Kantian philosophy concerning the question of the categories. It will be argued that Fichte modifies the Kantian table of the categories into a system of three categories groups, each of them composed by three categories. This implies, as it will be shown, the postulation of the reciprocal determination as first category and the exclusion from the categories system of both the modal categories and the distinction between dynamic and mathematic categories. The traditional interpretation of Fichte’s deduction of the categories is discussed.