Johann Gottlieb Fichte
Carlyle's thinking became heavily influenced by German idealism, in particular, the work of Johann Gottlieb Fichte. He established himself as an expert on German literature in a series of essays for "Fraser's Magazine", and by translating German works, notably Goethe's novel "Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre". He also wrote a "Life of Schiller" (1825).