Addresses to the German Nation

by Johann Gottlieb Fichte

CONTENTS
			page
Introduction		.    .    .	xi
Translation
	First Address: Introduction and General Survey	.    .    .	1
	Second Address: The General Nature of the New Education	.    .    .	19
	Third Address: Description of the New Education (continued)	.    .    .	36
	Fourth Address: The Chief Difference between the Germans and the other Peoples of Teutonic descent	.    .    .	52
	Fifth Address: The Consequences of the Difference that has been indicated	.    .    .	72
	Sixth Address: German Characteristics as Exhibited in History	.    .    .	91
	Seventh Address: A Closer Study of the Originality and Characteristics of a People	.    .    .	108
	Eighth Address: What is a People in the Higher Meaning of the Word, and what is Love of Fatherland?	.    .    .	130
	Ninth Address: The Starting-point that Actually Exists for the New National Education of the Germans	.    .    .	152
	Tenth Address: Further Definition of the German National Education	.    .    .	169

	Eleventh Address: On whom will the Carrying-out of this Scheme of Education devolve?	.    .    .	187
	Twelfth Address: Concerning the Means for our Preservation until we attain our Main Object	.    .    .	205
	Thirteenth Address: The same subject further considered	.    .    .	223
	Fourteenth Address: Conclusion	.    .    .	248

TRANSLATORS’ NOTE

This translation is based on Vogt’s edition of Fichte’s Reden an die deutsche Nation in the Bibliothek pädagogischer Klassiker, Langensalza, 1896.

Mr Jones is responsible for the translation of Addresses 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, and 14, Dr Turnbull for the remainder and for the introduction, which is intended primarily for the general reader. Each of us, however, has had the benefit of the other’s suggestions and criticisms. We have endeavoured to make the rendering of the principal technical terms uniform throughout, and have aimed at making the translation intelligible, while keeping close to the original German.

We desire to express our deep gratitude to Prof. E. T. Campagnac for originally suggesting the translation, for showing the deepest interest in the work throughout, and for reading part of the MS. Dr Turnbull wishes also to thank Miss E. Purdie for a number of valuable comments on the rendering of the first address.

R. F. J.

G. H. T.