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This article deals with F. H. Jacobi's criticism of Fichte's thought, exposed it in his Briefe an Fichte, of 1799. In order to offer the context of the discussion between them, we analyze, in the first place, the connection that existed between both philosophers before the Atheismusstreit. Then, we expose Jacobi’s interpretation of the Wissenschaftslehre as the most accomplished system in the history of rationalist philosophy -for which Fichte is designated as the Messiah of speculative reason-. To conclude, we analyze briefly Fichte’s reaction to these criticisms. The article shows that, just as Fichte claims, and contrary to what Jacobi affirms, there are some coincidences between them concerning their philosophical views. They agree in their appraisal of Spinozism; but fundamentally they concur in that they both dethrone speculative reason and set above it a not demonstrative, not discursive power that can be in both cases considered as “nicht-Wissen”.

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