As an early neo-Kantian, Johannes Volkelt (1848–1930) attempts to conciliate epistemology and metaphysics. His philosophy determines the transition from intra-subjective givenness to trans-subjective reality while staying loyal to the egological traditions of Kantianism. Based on his philosophical insights, Volkelt tackles the problems of psychology and develops several original ideas. In general, his philosophical psychology is devoted to the subject matter of consciousness. Unlike other neo-Kantians, Volkelt rejected transcendentalism and turned to empirical introspection as the basis for argumentation. He can therefore be compared to Franz Brentano and Wilhelm Wundt, being connected to the latter in friendship while being his critic in science. A lasting contribution can be found in Volkelt’s deliberations about the psychology of aesthetics. In the discourse about empathy, he advocated the assumption that one's relation to other minds depends on trans-subjective projection.