The aim of this thesis is to prove a philosophical notion of Maine de Biran: the “immediate apperception (aperception immédiate)”. The immediate apperception is the moment when I know myself, or when I grab immediately the evidence of my existence. Biran links this moment to voluntary movement, a movement which has its purpose in itself. What is a philosophical signification of this connection? In this thesis, with the study of Félix Ravaisson and of Kitaro Nishida, we will find that the voluntary movement in Biran is, at first, a reflection (réflexion), which lets us know ourselves. We will also find that it should be considered as a creation, an act of taking part in the real and historical world.
