Page 124 [124]
HANS ERICH BÖDEKER
as morality; the Christian principle of morality, however, is "itself theological"
inasmuch as the autonomy of pure practical reason stands for itself, because
it does not see knowledge of God as its will at the basis of these laws, but only
the achievement of the highest good on condition that these laws are obeyed. It
does not even see the real motive for obeying these laws as lying in their desired
consequences. The extent to which religion had already become less significant
is also shown by the fact that Kant described the moral necessity of accepting
the existence of God not as a duty, not merely as a human need. Even without
religion man would have to obey the law of morality.
Fichte, too, building on Kant, put forward this view when he referred to vir¬
tues which constitute “the real essence” of the Christian religion: “Surrender
to the will of God, patience, meekness, sacrificed for the good of the whole ....
love of one’s enemies, deep inside into the human heart." "Tt is absolutely
necessary, and the essence of religion, that man, who insists on the dignity of
his reason, should draw upon faith in this moral world order, the transcend¬
ence, this divinity which is infinitely superior to all things transient”, Fichte
continued, and “regard every one of his duties as a disposition by this order,
believe every one of its consequences to be good, that is, beatifying, and submit
joyfully.” '”? Man realized the “kingdom of God on earth” in moral action. Ul¬
timately, Fichte’s religion dissolved into morality, or perhaps it would be more
accurate to say into free independence, for this was no longer morality in the
traditional sense.
As the “morally necessary” cause, God himself was part of ethical action in
Fichte’s sense. He was seen as the consummation of morality, and the concept
of God was regarded as merely a verbal expression of this living consumma¬
tion.'®° “This is the true faith; this moral order is the divine, which we accept. It
is constructed by doing right ...”'*! From the orthodox point of view, therefore,
the accusation of atheism directed at Fichte was not entirely groundless, even
though it did not do justice to his religious zeal and conviction.’ Fichte did
indeed attempt to “argue away” the existence of God as an independent being.
He remained true to himself: “Morality and religion are, in absolute terms,
8 FICHTE, Nachgelassene Schriften, (note 144), 92.; Cf. also 87: “According to this perfecting the
whole man is a divine service, and its sublime purpose is illuminating the understanding, and
improving the heart.”
FICHTE, Johann Gottlieb, Appellation an das Publikum gegen die Anklage de Atheismus, in I.H.
Fichte (ed.), Werke, vol. 5, Berlin, 1834-1846, reprinted Berlin, De Gruyter, 1971, 208.
Cf. FICHTE, Ueber den Grund unseres Glaubens an eine göttliche Weltregierung, Werke, vol. 5,
177-89.
Ibid., 185.
On Fichte’s alleged atheism see note 11.
179
18
Ss
18
2
182
* 122 +