Abstract

The interpretation of Fichte plays a crucial role in the argumentation of Michel Henry’s seminal work, The Essence of Manifestation. 1 Indeed, it accompanies one of the most important passages of the entire volume, which establishes the definition of philosophical monism as the dominant tradition of Western thought.2 In order to understand what is at stake in this interpretation it will thus be necessary to place it in the wider context of Henry’s argumentation. Once we have illustrated the principal characteristics of philosophical monism, we will be able to analyze the role that Fichte played in its development in greater detail. Finally, I will evaluate Henry’s interpretation in terms of its relevance to the fundamental characteristics of Fichte’s transcendental philosophy.