Author bio: Johann Gottlieb Fichte was a German philosopher. He was one of the founding figures of the philosophical movement known as German idealism, which developed from the theoretical and ethical writings of Immanuel Kant.
Date/Context: 1807-1808, like italy, Germany did not achieve unification until 1871. But there were those who who provided the philosophical and idealistic foundation for later policies that would prove more practical.
Summary: Fichte asserts that their oldest common ancestors set themselves bravely in opposition to the worldwide rule of the Romans, and believes that German's now faced with Napoleonic rule should do the same. Fichte asks, why would the German's just give up everything their ancestors fought for and succumb to the Napoleon and his tyrannical rule. He maintains that Germans should fight to be Germans, not the subjects of other, more powerful nations.
Key Quote: a true German could wish to live only to and to remain a German, and to have his sons the same.
Wow, Riley! This was very informative. Make sure that you include quotation marks around appropriate quotes and capitalize the first words of new sentences though! Also, countries (like Italy) also need to be capitalized because they are proper nouns. When looking at Fichte's work, it is important to remember that he opposed authoritative rule. You eloquently stated that Fichte talks about the ancestors of Germany fighting against the rule of the Romans, in which they fought very well. I believe that when Rome was sacked around 476 it was a German barbarian (Oderacer) that led the army against Rome. He is basically asking the German people, which do not have a nationality because there is not a country of Germany (just territories), but have a common interest in preserving their heritage and opposing the tyranny of Napoleon. I am also glad that you pointed out that Fichte thought of Napoleon as a tyrant. Fichte, overall, was a true believer and one of the first founders of the idea of nationalism. Although Napoleon was also a huge nationalist, Fichte thought of nationalism with much less aggression than Napoleon, who sought to conquer in the name of his country, as opposed to defending like Fichte.
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