German idealism is a philosophical movement that emerged in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, primarily in Germany. It focuses on the role of the mind in shaping reality, emphasizing that our understanding of the world is influenced by our perceptions and concepts. Key figures include Immanuel Kant, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, and Johann Gottlieb Fichte, who explored how ideas and consciousness contribute to human experience. The movement arose as a response to empiricism and rationalism, seeking to reconcile the two by asserting that knowledge is not solely derived from sensory experience or pure reason. German idealists argued that the mind actively constructs reality, leading to a deeper understanding of freedom, self-consciousness, and the nature of existence.