Summary
Fichte argues that internal boundaries are the truest formation of states and that people speaking a similar language are naturally connected by many unseen bonds even without the presence of art. He contends that such people understand one another well and have the potential to make others understand them increasingly clear due to their natural cohesiveness. He surmises that if people speaking one language interact with others of different descent and language, the people would become confused and their progress will be violently disturbed. He supposes that the human spiritual nature draws the internal boundaries and their view of nature is based on their togetherness and controlled by the law of nature. This is his analysis of how Germany was connected by language and culture severed from other middle European countries. This paper is a summary and response to Fichte’s address on nationalism.
He contends that selfish foreign countries noticed the bravery and dexterity of Germans and used them to win their wars, and exploited the ingenuousness and non-suspicion of Germans to achieve that. The religious disagreements that divided Germany in their quest to form one Christian Europe helped the foreign nations in breaking up the existing German unity and separating them. The foreign nations took advantage of the factions in Germany and set one against the other while disguising itself as natural allies. With this disintegration of Germany, the foreign countries ensured that all wars were fought on German soil and fought by Germans. The German states were used for any fights that place in Europe. Germans were not able to realize the need for the internal alliance. Fichte opposes the notion of universal monarchy which was gaining support from the populace as opposed to equilibrium. He sees this vision as hateful, preposterous, and lacking reason. Spiritual divinity according to him needs to be left to a group of people to unite, and live well and only when does every individual live according to the quality set by their group. Fichte posits that law and divine order can only take place in groups of people and the original life of humans can realize its worth, virtues, and merits in bond contrary to which humanity will be destroyed.
Response
This was Fichte’s conception of the fundamentals of social order. Fichte’s main argument is moving away from the common view which considered the content of mutual rights to be enough in constituting social unity and presents a new perception that culture or nationality identities are requisite for the formation of the society. Fichte’s address is the outcome of his natural advancement of applied philosophy and shows a great realization and cognizance relevance of language, culture, and religion for either the formation or the destruction of societies. The significance of Fichte’s assertion in the context of world history is that nations can use his philosophical ideology to unite and attain their freedom, breaking off from the bounds of other countries. Nations can utilize his notions for the realization of liberty and equality and increase patriotism.
The possible consequences of Fichte’s address could have been the unification of Germany and the contribution that his assertions made in the formation of the Nazi’s ideologies. His address can also be attributed to the increase in nationalism in Germany. The weaknesses that Fichte’s assertions had include; his address was entirely isolationist in of national identities and the apparent portrayal of Germany as the only potential agent of truest liberty in Europe and the world at large. The strengths were that his factual analysis of how foreigners had used the division that existed in Germany to upset the social unity and disintegrated Germany. Fichte has presented the idea of foreignism as a manifestation that could destroy social and individual life. This document reflects the significance of culture and language in society.