the critique of pure reason-第28节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



senses；　it　cannot　therefore　be　contained　in　the　pure　form　of

sensuous　intuition；　for　it　is　a　spontaneous　act　of　the　faculty　of

representation。　And　as　we　must；　to　distinguish　it　from　sensibility；

entitle　this　faculty　understanding；　so　all　conjunction　whether

conscious　or　unconscious；　be　it　of　the　manifold　in　intuition；　sensuous

or　non…sensuous；　or　of　several　conceptions…　is　an　act　of　the

understanding。　To　this　act　we　shall　give　the　general　appellation　of

synthesis；　thereby　to　indicate；　at　the　same　time；　that　we　cannot

represent　anything　as　conjoined　in　the　object　without　having

previously　conjoined　it　ourselves。　Of　all　mental　notions；　that　of

conjunction　is　the　only　one　which　cannot　be　given　through　objects；　but

can　be　originated　only　by　the　subject　itself；　because　it　is　an　act

of　its　purely　spontaneous　activity。　The　reader　will　easily　enough

perceive　that　the　possibility　of　conjunction　must　be　grounded　in　the

very　nature　of　this　act；　and　that　it　must　be　equally　valid　for　all

conjunction；　and　that　analysis；　which　appears　to　be　its　contrary；

must；　nevertheless；　always　presuppose　it；　for　where　the

understanding　has　not　previously　conjoined；　it　cannot　dissect　or

analyse；　because　only　as　conjoined　by　it；　must　that　which　is　to　be

analysed　have　been　given　to　our　faculty　of　representation。

　　But　the　conception　of　conjunction　includes；　besides　the　conception

of　the　manifold　and　of　the　synthesis　of　it；　that　of　the　unity　of　it

also。　Conjunction　is　the　representation　of　the　synthetical　unity　of

the　manifold。*　This　idea　of　unity；　therefore；　cannot　arise　out　of　that

of　conjunction；　much　rather　does　that　idea；　by　combining　itself　with

the　representation　of　the　manifold；　render　the　conception　of

conjunction　possible。　This　unity；　which　a　priori　precedes　all

conceptions　of　conjunction；　is　not　the　category　of　unity　（SS　6）；　for

all　the　categories　are　based　upon　logical　functions　of　judgement；

and　in　these　functions　we　already　have　conjunction；　and　consequently

unity　of　given　conceptions。　It　is　therefore　evident　that　the

category　of　unity　presupposes　conjunction。　We　must　therefore　look

still　higher　for　this　unity　（as　qualitative；　SS　8）；　in　that；　namely；

which　contains　the　ground　of　the　unity　of　diverse　conceptions　in

judgements；　the　ground；　consequently；　of　the　possibility　of　the

existence　of　the　understanding；　even　in　regard　to　its　logical　use。



　　*Whether　the　representations　are　in　themselves　identical；　and

consequently　whether　one　can　be　thought　analytically　by　means　of　and

through　the　other；　is　a　question　which　we　need　not　at　present

consider。　Our　Consciousness　of　the　one；　when　we　speak　of　the　manifold；

is　always　distinguishable　from　our　consciousness　of　the　other；　and

it　is　only　respecting　the　synthesis　of　this　（possible）　consciousness

that　we　here　treat。



　　　　Of　the　Originally　Synthetical　Unity　of　Apperception。　SS　12



　　The　〃I　think〃　must　accompany　all　my　representations；　for　otherwise

something　would　be　represented　in　me　which　could　not　be　thought；　in

other　words；　the　representation　would　either　be　impossible；　or　at

least　be；　in　relation　to　me；　nothing。　That　representation　which　can　be

given　previously　to　all　thought　is　called　intuition。　All　the　diversity

or　manifold　content　of　intuition；　has；　therefore；　a　necessary　relation

to　the　'I　think；〃　in　the　subject　in　which　this　diversity　is　found。　But

this　representation；　〃I　think；〃　is　an　act　of　spontaneity；　that　is　to

say；　it　cannot　be　regarded　as　belonging　to　mere　sensibility。　I　call　it

pure　apperception；　in　order　to　distinguish　it　from　empirical；　or

primitive　apperception；　because　it　is　self…consciousness　which；　whilst

it　gives　birth　to　the　representation〃　I　think；〃　must　necessarily　be

capable　of　accompanying　all　our　representations。　It　is　in　all　acts

of　consciousness　one　and　the　same；　and　unaccompanied　by　it；　no

representation　can　exist　for　me。　The　unity　of　this　apperception　I　call

the　transcendental　unity　of　self…consciousness；　in　order　to　indicate

the　possibility　of　a　priori　cognition　arising　from　it。　For　the

manifold　representations　which　are　given　in　an　intuition　would　not　all

of　them　be　my　representations；　if　they　did　not　all　belong　to　one

self…consciousness；　that　is；　as　my　representations　（even　although　I　am

not　conscious　of　them　as　such）；　they　must　conform　to　the　condition

under　which　alone　they　can　exist　together　in　a　common

self…consciousness；　because　otherwise　they　would　not　all　without

exception　belong　to　me。　From　this　primitive　conjunction　follow　many

important　results。

　　For　example；　this　universal　identity　of　the　apperception　of　the

manifold　given　in　intuition　contains　a　synthesis　of　representations

and　is　possible　only　by　means　of　the　consciousness　of　this

synthesis。　For　the　empirical　consciousness　which　accompanies　different

representations　is　in　itself　fragmentary　and　disunited；　and　without

relation　to　the　identity　of　the　subject。　This　relation；　then；　does　not

exist　because　I　accompany　every　representation　with　consciousness；　but

because　I　join　one　representation　to　another；　and　am　conscious　of

the　synthesis　of　them。　Consequently；　only　because　I　can　connect　a

variety　of　given　representations　in　one　consciousness；　is　it

possible　that　I　can　represent　to　myself　the　identity　of

consciousness　in　these　representations；　in　other　words；　the　analytical

unity　of　apperception　is　possible　only　under　the　presupposition　of　a

synthetical　unity。*　The　thought；　〃These　representations　given　in

intuition　belong　all　of　them　to　me；〃　is　accordingly　just　the　same

as；　〃I　unite　them　in　one　self…consciousness；　or　can　at　least　so

unite　them〃；　and　although　this　thought　is　not　itself　the　consciousness

of　the　synthesis　of　representations；　it　presupposes　the　possibility　of

it；　that　is　to　say；　for　the　reason　alone　that　I　can　comprehend　the

variety　of　my　representations　in　one　consciousness；　do　I　call　them

my　representations；　for　otherwise　I　must　have　as　many…coloured　and

various　a　self　as　are　the　representations　of　which　I　am　conscious。

Synthetical　unity　of　the　manifold　in　intuitions；　as　given　a　priori；　is

therefore　the　foundation　of　the　identity　of　apperception　itself；　which

antecedes　a　priori　all　determinate　thought。　But　the　conjunction　of

representations　into　a　conception　is　not　to　be　found　in　objects

themselves；　nor　can　it　be；　as　it　were；　borrowed　from　them　and　taken　up

into　the　understanding　by　perception；　but　it　is　on　the　contrary　an

operation　of　the　understanding　itself；　which　is　nothing　more　than

the　faculty　of　conjoining　a　priori　and　of　bringing　the　variety　of

given　representations　under　the　unity　of　apperception。　This

principle　is　the　highest　in　all　human　cognition。



　　*All　general　conceptions…　as　such…　depend；　for　their　existence；　on

the　analytical　unity　of　consciousness。　For　example；　when　I　think　of

red　in　general；　I　thereby　think　to　myself　a　property　which　（as　a

characteristic　mark）　can　be　discovered　somewhere；　or　can　be　united

with　other　representations；　consequently；　it　is　only　by　means　of　a

forethought　possible　synthetical　unity　that　I　can　think　to　myself

the　analytical。　A　representation　which　is　cogitated　as　common　to

different　representations；　is　regarded　as　belonging　to　such　as；

besides　this　common　representation；　contain　something　different；

consequently　it　must　be　previously　thought　in　synthetical　unity　with

other　although　only　possible　representations；　before　I　can　think　in　it

the　analytical　unity　of　consciousness　which　makes　it　a　conceptas

communis。　And　thus　the　synthetical　unity　of　apperception　is　the

highest　point　with　which　we　must　connect　every　operation　of　the

understanding；　even　the　whole　of　logic；　and　after　it　our

transcendental　philosophy；　indeed；　this　faculty　is　the　understanding

itself。



　　This　fundamental　principle　of　the　necessary　unity　of　apperception　is

indeed　an　identical；　and　therefore　analytical；　proposition；　but　it

nevertheless　explains　the　necessity　for　a　synthesis　of　the　manifold

given　in　an　intuition；　without　which　the　identity　of

self…consciousness　would　be　incogitable。　For　the　ego；　as　a　simple

representation；　presents　us　with　no　manifold　content；　only　in

intuition；　which　is　quite　different　from　the　representation　ego；　can

it　be　given　us；　and　by　means　of　conjunction　it　is　cogitated　in　one

self…consciousness。　An　understanding；　in　which　all　the　manifold　should

be　given　by　means　of　consciousness　itself；　would　be　intuitive；　our

understanding　can　only　think　and　must　look　for　its　intuition　to　sense。

I　am；　therefore；　conscious　of　my　identical　self；　in　relation　to　all

the　variety　of　representations　given　to　me　in　an　intuition；　because

I　call　all　of　them　my　representations。　In　other　words；　I　am

conscious　myself　of　a　necessary　a　priori　synthesis　of　my

representations；　which　is　called　the　original　synthetical　unity　of

apperception；　under　which　rank　all　the　representations　presented　to

me；　but　that　only　by　means　of　a　synthesis。



　　　　The　Principle　of　the　Synthetical　Uni