Ist die späte Wissenschaftslehre ein »Aktualer Idealismus«? Ein spekulativer Vergleich zwischen Fichtes und Gentiles Denken

The paper aims to elucidate the possible theoretical connection between J. G. Fichte’s later Doctrine of Science and G. Gentile’s Actual Idealism. It argues that there are some common aspects to both philosophical systems: trascendental conception of reality, immanence of reality within the thought, priority of moral law in relationship to the mere theoretical approach to experience, reduction of every form of consciousness to selfconsciousness. It is also shown that despite these similarities some capital differences cannot be overlooked. They become manifest if one points out how the connection between absolute and finite must be understood. Whereas Fichte claims the clear distinction of pure I and God – the first is only the appareance of the last –, Gentile means on the contrary that the total immanence which distinguishes their relation implies ultimately an identification of the two. While Fichte advocates the unaccomplishable distance between the finite and the infinite, Gentile believes that the unlimited spirit coincides with the human spirit.