the critique of pure reason-第75节

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cognizing　itself　as　noumenon。　But　this　is　impossible；　for　the　internal

empirical　intuition　is　sensuous；　and　presents　us　with　nothing　but

phenomenal　data；　which　do　not　assist　the　object　of　pure

consciousness　in　its　attempt　to　cognize　itself　as　a　separate

existence；　but　are　useful　only　as　contributions　to　experience。

　　But；　let　it　be　granted　that　we　could　discover；　not　in　experience；

but　in　certain　firmly…established　a　priori　laws　of　the　use　of　pure

reason…　laws　relating　to　our　existence；　authority　to　consider

ourselves　as　legislating　a　priori　in　relation　to　our　own　existence　and

as　determining　this　existence；　we　should；　on　this　supposition；　find

ourselves　possessed　of　a　spontaneity；　by　which　our　actual　existence

would　be　determinable；　without　the　aid　of　the　conditions　of

empirical　intuition。　We　should　also　become　aware　that　in　the

consciousness　of　our　existence　there　was　an　a　priori　content；　which

would　serve　to　determine　our　own　existence…　an　existence　only

sensuously　determinable…　relatively；　however；　to　a　certain　internal

faculty　in　relation　to　an　intelligible　world。

　　But　this　would　not　give　the　least　help　to　the　attempts　of　rational

psychology。　For　this　wonderful　faculty；　which　the　consciousness　of　the

moral　law　in　me　reveals；　would　present　me　with　a　principle　of　the

determination　of　my　own　existence　which　is　purely　intellectual…　but　by

what　predicates？　By　none　other　than　those　which　are　given　in

sensuous　intuition。　Thus　I　should　find　myself　in　the　same　position

in　rational　psychology　which　I　formerly　occupied；　that　is　to　say；　I

should　find　myself　still　in　need　of　sensuous　intuitions；　in　order　to

give　significance　to　my　conceptions　of　substance　and　cause；　by　means

of　which　alone　I　can　possess　a　knowledge　of　myself：　but　these

intuitions　can　never　raise　me　above　the　sphere　of　experience。　I　should

be　justified；　however；　in　applying　these　conceptions；　in　regard　to

their　practical　use；　which　is　always　directed　to　objects　of

experience…　in　conformity　with　their　analogical　significance　when

employed　theoretically…　to　freedom　and　its　subject。　At　the　same

time；　I　should　understand　by　them　merely　the　logical　functions　of

subject　and　predicate；　of　principle　and　consequence；　in　conformity

with　which　all　actions　are　so　determined；　that　they　are　capable　of

being　explained　along　with　the　laws　of　nature；　conformably　to　the

categories　of　substance　and　cause；　although　they　originate　from　a　very

different　principle。　We　have　made　these　observations　for　the　purpose

of　guarding　against　misunderstanding；　to　which　the　doctrine　of　our

intuition　of　self　as　a　phenomenon　is　exposed。　We　shall　have　occasion

to　perceive　their　utility　in　the　sequel。

　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　II。　The　Antinomy　of　Pure　Reason。



　　We　showed　in　the　introduction　to　this　part　of　our　work；　that　all

transcendental　illusion　of　pure　reason　arose　from　dialectical

arguments；　the　schema　of　which　logic　gives　us　in　its　three　formal

species　of　syllogisms…　just　as　the　categories　find　their　logical

schema　in　the　four　functions　of　all　judgements。　The　first　kind　of

these　sophistical　arguments　related　to　the　unconditioned　unity　of

the　subjective　conditions　of　all　representations　in　general　（of　the

subject　or　soul）；　in　correspondence　with　the　categorical　syllogisms；

the　major　of　which；　as　the　principle；　enounces　the　relation　of　a

predicate　to　a　subject。　The　second　kind　of　dialectical　argument　will

therefore　be　concerned；　following　the　analogy　with　hypothetical

syllogisms；　with　the　unconditioned　unity　of　the　objective　conditions

in　the　phenomenon；　and；　in　this　way；　the　theme　of　the　third　kind　to　be

treated　of　in　the　following　chapter　will　be　the　unconditioned　unity　of

the　objective　conditions　of　the　possibility　of　objects　in　general。

　　But　it　is　worthy　of　remark　that　the　transcendental　paralogism

produced　in　the　mind　only　a　one…third　illusion；　in　regard　to　the

idea　of　the　subject　of　our　thought；　and　the　conceptions　of　reason　gave

no　ground　to　maintain　the　contrary　proposition。　The　advantage　is

completely　on　the　side　of　Pneumatism；　although　this　theory　itself

passes　into　naught；　in　the　crucible　of　pure　reason。

　　Very　different　is　the　case　when　we　apply　reason　to　the　objective

synthesis　of　phenomena。　Here；　certainly；　reason　establishes；　with　much

plausibility；　its　principle　of　unconditioned　unity；　but　it　very　soon

falls　into　such　contradictions　that　it　is　compelled；　in　relation　to

cosmology；　to　renounce　its　pretensions。

　　For　here　a　new　phenomenon　of　human　reason　meets　us…　a　perfectly

natural　antithetic；　which　does　not　require　to　be　sought　for　by

subtle　sophistry；　but　into　which　reason　of　itself　unavoidably　falls。

It　is　thereby　preserved；　to　be　sure；　from　the　slumber　of　a　fancied

conviction…　which　a　merely　one…sided　illusion　produces；　but　it　is　at

the　same　time　compelled；　either；　on　the　one　hand；　to　abandon　itself　to

a　despairing　scepticism；　or；　on　the　other；　to　assume　a　dogmatical

confidence　and　obstinate　persistence　in　certain　assertions；　without

granting　a　fair　hearing　to　the　other　side　of　the　question。　Either　is

the　death　of　a　sound　philosophy；　although　the　former　might　perhaps

deserve　the　title　of　the　euthanasia　of　pure　reason。

　　Before　entering　this　region　of　discord　and　confusion；　which　the

conflict　of　the　laws　of　pure　reason　（antinomy）　produces；　we　shall

present　the　reader　with　some　considerations；　in　explanation　and

justification　of　the　method　we　intend　to　follow　in　our　treatment　of

this　subject。　I　term　all　transcendental　ideas；　in　so　far　as　they

relate　to　the　absolute　totality　in　the　synthesis　of　phenomena；

cosmical　conceptions；　partly　on　account　of　this　unconditioned

totality；　on　which　the　conception　of　the　world…whole　is　based…　a

conception；　which　is　itself　an　idea…　partly　because　they　relate　solely

to　the　synthesis　of　phenomena…　the　empirical　synthesis；　while；　on

the　other　hand；　the　absolute　totality　in　the　synthesis　of　the

conditions　of　all　possible　things　gives　rise　to　an　ideal　of　pure

reason；　which　is　quite　distinct　from　the　cosmical　conception；　although

it　stands　in　relation　with　it。　Hence；　as　the　paralogisms　of　pure

reason　laid　the　foundation　for　a　dialectical　psychology；　the

antinomy　of　pure　reason　will　present　us　with　the　transcendental

principles　of　a　pretended　pure　（rational）　cosmology…　not；　however；

to　declare　it　valid　and　to　appropriate　it；　but…　as　the　very　term　of

a　conflict　of　reason　sufficiently　indicates；　to　present　it　as　an

idea　which　cannot　be　reconciled　with　phenomena　and　experience。



　　　　　　　　　　　SECTION　I。　System　of　Cosmological　Ideas。



　　That　We　may　be　able　to　enumerate　with　systematic　precision　these

ideas　according　to　a　principle；　we　must　remark；　in　the　first　place；

that　it　is　from　the　understanding　alone　that　pure　and　transcendental

conceptions　take　their　origin；　that　the　reason　does　not　properly

give　birth　to　any　conception；　but　only　frees　the　conception　of　the

understanding　from　the　unavoidable　limitation　of　a　possible

experience；　and　thus　endeavours　to　raise　it　above　the　empirical；

though　it　must　still　be　in　connection　with　it。　This　happens　from　the

fact　that；　for　a　given　conditioned；　reason　demands　absolute　totality

on　the　side　of　the　conditions　（to　which　the　understanding　submits

all　phenomena）；　and　thus　makes　of　the　category　a　transcendental

idea。　This　it　does　that　it　may　be　able　to　give　absolute　completeness

to　the　empirical　synthesis；　by　continuing　it　to　the　unconditioned

（which　is　not　to　be　found　in　experience；　but　only　in　the　idea）。　Reason

requires　this　according　to　the　principle：　If　the　conditioned　is

given　the　whole　of　the　conditions；　and　consequently　the　absolutely

unconditioned；　is　also　given；　whereby　alone　the　former　was　possible。

First；　then；　the　transcendental　ideas　are　properly　nothing　but

categories　elevated　to　the　unconditioned；　and　they　may　be　arranged

in　a　table　according　to　the　titles　of　the　latter。　But；　secondly；　all

the　categories　are　not　available　for　this　purpose；　but　only　those　in

which　the　synthesis　constitutes　a　series…　of　conditions　subordinated

to；　not　co…ordinated　with；　each　other。　Absolute　totality　is　required

of　reason　only　in　so　far　as　concerns　the　ascending　series　of　the

conditions　of　a　conditioned；　not；　consequently；　when　the　question

relates　to　the　descending　series　of　consequences；　or　to　the

aggregate　of　the　co…ordinated　conditions　of　these　consequences。　For；

in　relation　to　a　given　conditioned；　conditions　are　presupposed　and

considered　to　be　given　along　with　it。　On　the　other　hand；　as　the

consequences　do　not　render　possible　their　conditions；　but　rather

presuppose　them…　in　the　consideration　of　the　procession　of

consequences　（or　in　the　descent　from　the　given　condition　to　the

conditioned）；　we　may　be　quite　unconcerned　whether　the　series　ceases　or

not；　and　their　totality　is　not　a　necessary　demand　of　reason。

　　Thus　we　cogitate…　and　necessarily…　a　given　time　completely　elapsed

up　to　a　given　moment；　although　that　time　is　not　determinable　by