the critique of judgement-第24节

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　of　the　absolute　whole；　the　attendant　displeasure；　and；　consequently；　the　want　of　finality　in　our　faculty　of　imagination；　is　still　represented　as　final　for　ideas　of　reason　and　their　animation。　But　in　this　very　way　the　aesthetic　judgement　itself　is　subjectively　final　for　reason　as　source　of　ideas；　i。e。；　of　such　an　intellectual　comprehension　as　makes　all　aesthetic　comprehension　small；　and　the　object　is　received　as　sublime　with　a　pleasure　that　is　only　possible　through　the　mediation　of　a　displeasure。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　B。　THE　DYNAMICALLY　SUBLIME　IN　NATURE。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　SS　28。　Nature　as　Might。

　　Might　is　a　power　which　is　superior　to　great　hindrances。　It　is　termed　dominion　if　it　is　also　superior　to　the　resistance　of　that　which　itself　possesses　might。　Nature；　considered　in　an　aesthetic　judgement　as　might　that　has　no　dominion　over　us；　is　dynamically　sublime。　　　If　we　are　to　estimate　nature　as　dynamically　sublime；　it　must　be　represented　as　a　source　of　fear　（though　the　converse；　that　every　object　that　is　a　source　of　fear；　in　our　aesthetic　judgement；　sublime；　does　not　hold）。　For　in　forming　an　aesthetic　estimate　（no　concept　being　present）　the　superiority　to　hindrances　can　only　be　estimated　according　to　the　greatness　of　the　resistance。　Now　that　which　we　strive　to　resist　is　an　evil；　and；　if　we　do　not　find　our　powers　commensurate　to　the　task；　an　object　of　fear。　Hence　the　aesthetic　judgement　can　only　deem　nature　a　might；　and　so　dynamically　sublime；　in　so　far　as　it　is　looked　upon　as　an　object　of　fear。　　　But　we　may　look　upon　an　object　as　fearful；　and　yet　not　be　afraid　of　it；　if；　that　is；　our　estimate　takes　the　form　of　our　simply　picturing　to　ourselves　the　case　of　our　wishing　to　offer　some　resistance　to　it　and　recognizing　that　all　such　resistance　would　be　quite　futile。　So　the　righteous　man　fears　God　without　being　afraid　of　Him；　because　he　regards　the　case　of　his　wishing　to　resist　God　and　His　commandments　as　one　which　need　cause　him　no　anxiety。　But　in　every　such　case；　regarded　by　him　as　not　intrinsically　impossible；　he　cognizes　Him　as　One　to　be　feared。　　　One　who　is　in　a　state　of　fear　can　no　more　play　the　part　of　a　judge　of　the　sublime　of　nature　than　one　captivated　by　inclination　and　appetite　can　of　the　beautiful。　He　flees　from　the　sight　of　an　object　filling　him　with　dread；　and　it　is　impossible　to　take　delight　in　terror　that　is　seriously　entertained。　Hence　the　agreeableness　arising　from　the　cessation　of　an　uneasiness　is　a　state　of　joy。　But　this；　depending　upon　deliverance　from　a　danger；　is　a　rejoicing　accompanied　with　a　resolve　never　again　to　put　oneself　in　the　way　of　the　danger：　in　fact　we　do　not　like　bringing　back　to　mind　how　we　felt　on　that　occasion　not　to　speak　of　going　in　search　of　an　opportunity　for　experiencing　it　again。　　　Bold；　overhanging；　and；　as　it　were；　threatening　rocks；　thunderclouds　piled　up　the　vault　of　heaven；　borne　along　with　flashes　and　peals；　volcanos　in　all　their　violence　of　destruction；　hurricanes　leaving　desolation　in　their　track；　the　boundless　ocean　rising　with　rebellious　force；　the　high　waterfall　of　some　mighty　river；　and　the　like；　make　our　power　of　resistance　of　trifling　moment　in　comparison　with　their　might。　But；　provided　our　own　position　is　secure；　their　aspect　is　all　the　more　attractive　for　its　fearfulness；　and　we　readily　call　these　objects　sublime；　because　they　raise　the　forces　of　the　soul　above　the　height　of　vulgar　commonplace；　and　discover　within　us　a　power　of　resistance　of　quite　another　kind；　which　gives　us　courage　to　be　able　to　measure　ourselves　against　the　seeming　omnipotence　of　nature。　　　In　the　immeasurableness　of　nature　and　the　incompetence　of　our　faculty　for　adopting　a　standard　proportionate　to　the　aesthetic　estimation　of　the　magnitude　of　its　realm；　we　found　our　own　limitation。　But　with　this　we　also　found　in　our　rational　faculty　another　non…sensuous　standard；　one　which　has　that　infinity　itself　under　it　as　a　unit；　and　in　comparison　with　which　everything　in　nature　is　small；　and　so　found　in　our　minds　a　pre…eminence　over　nature　even　in　it　immeasurability。　Now　in　just　the　same　way　the　irresistibility　of　the　might　of　nature　forces　upon　us　the　recognition　of　our　physical　helplessness　as　beings　of　nature；　but　at　the　same　time　reveals　a　faculty　of　estimating　ourselves　as　independent　of　nature；　and　discovers　a　pre…eminence　above　nature　that　is　the　foundation　of　a　self…preservation　of　quite　another　kind　from　that　which　may　be　assailed　and　brought　into　danger　by　external　nature。　This　saves　humanity　in　our　own　person　from　humiliation；　even　though　as　mortal　men　we　have　to　submit　to　external　violence。　In　this　way；　external　nature　is　not　estimated　in　our　aesthetic　judgement　as　sublime　so　far　as　exciting　fear；　but　rather　because　it　challenges　our　power　（one　not　of　nature）　to　regard　as　small　those　things　of　which　we　are　wont　to　be　solicitous　（worldly　goods；　health；　and　life）；　and　hence　to　regard　its　might　（to　which　in　these　matters　we　are　no　doubt　subject）　as　exercising　over　us　and　our　personality　no　such　rude　dominion　that　we　should　bow　down　before　it；　once　the　question　becomes　one　of　our　highest　principles　and　of　our　asserting　or　forsaking　them。　Therefore　nature　is　here　called　sublime　merely　because　it　raises　the　imagination　to　a　presentation　of　those　cases　in　which　the　mind　can　make　itself　sensible　of　the　appropriate　sublimity　of　the　sphere　of　its　own　being；　even　above　nature。　　　This　estimation　of　ourselves　loses　nothing　by　the　fact　that　we　must　see　ourselves　safe　in　order　to　feel　this　soul…stirring　delight…a　fact　from　which　it　might　be　plausibly　argued　that；　as　there　is　no　seriousness　in　the　danger；　so　there　is　just　as　little　seriousness　in　the　sublimity　of　our　faculty　of　soul。　For　here　the　delight　only　concerns　the　province　of　our　faculty　disclosed　in　such　a　case；　so　far　as　this　faculty　has　its　root　in　our　nature；　notwithstanding　that　its　development　and　exercise　is　left　to　ourselves　and　remains　an　obligation。　Here　indeed　there　is　truth…no　matter　how　conscious　a　man；　when　he　stretches　his　reflection　so　far　abroad；　may　be　of　his　actual　present　helplessness。　　　This　principle　has；　doubtless；　the　appearance　of　being　too　far…fetched　and　subtle；　and　so　of　lying　beyond　the　reach　of　an　aesthetic　judgement。　But　observation　of　men　proves　the　reverse；　and　that　it　may　be　the　foundation　of　the　commonest　judgements；　although　one　is　not　always　conscious　of　its　presence。　For　what　is　it　that；　even　to　the　savage；　is　the　object　of　the　greatest　admiration？　It　is　a　man　who　is　undaunted；　who　knows　no　fear；　and　who；　therefore；　does　not　give　way　to　danger；　but　sets　manfully　to　work　with　full　deliberation。　Even　where　civilization　has　reached　a　high　pitch；　there　remains　this　special　reverence　for　the　soldier；　only　that　there　is　then　further　required　of　him　that　he　should　also　exhibit　all　the　virtues　of　peace…gentleness；　sympathy；　and　even　becoming　thought　for　his　own　person；　and　for　the　reason　that　in　this　we　recognize　that　his　mind　is　above　the　threats　of　danger。　And　so；　comparing　the　statesman　and　the　general；　men　may　argue　as　they　please　as　to　the　pre…eminent　respect　which　is　due　to　either　above　the　other；　but　the　verdict　of　the　aesthetic　judgement　is　for　the　latter。　War　itself；　provided　it　is　conducted　with　order　and　a　sacred　respect　for　the　rights　of　civilians；　has　something　sublime　about　it；　and　gives　nations　that　carry　it　on　in　such　a　manner　a　stamp　of　mind　only　the　more　sublime　the　more　numerous　the　dangers　to　which　they　are　exposed；　and　which　they　are　able　to　meet　with　fortitude。　On　the　other　hand；　a　prolonged　peace　favours　the　predominance　of　a　mere　commercial　spirit；　and　with　it　a　debasing　self…interest；　cowardice；　and　effeminacy；　and　tends　to　degrade　the　character　of　the　nation。　　　So　far　as　sublimity　is　predicated　of　might；　this　solution　of　the　concept　of　it　appears　at　variance　with　the　fact　that　we　are　wont　to　represent　God　in　the　tempest；　the　storm；　the　earthquake；　and　the　like；　as　presenting　Himself　in　His　wrath；　but　at　the　same　time　also　in　His　sublimity；　and　yet　here　it　would　be　alike　folly　and　presumption　to　imagine　a　pre…eminence　of　our　minds　over　the　operations　and；　as　it　appears；　even　over　the　direction　of　such　might。　Here；　instead　of　a　feeling　of　the　sublimity　of　our　own　nature；　submission；　prostration；　Aristotle's　remarks　on　Courage；　in　the　utter　helplessness　seem　more　to　constitute　the　attitude　of　mind　befitting　the　manifestation　of　such　an　object；　and　to　be　that　also　more　customarily　associated　with　the　idea　of　it　on　the　occasion　of　a　natural　phenomenon　of　this　kind。　In　religion；　as　a　rule；　prostration；　adoration　with　bowed　head；　coupled　with　contrite；　timorous　posture　and　voice；　seems　to　be　the　only　becoming　demeanour　in　presence　of　the　Godhead；　and　accordingly　most　nations　have　assumed　and　still　observe　it。　Yet　this　cast　of　mind　is　far　from　being　intrinsically　and　necessarily　involved　in　the　idea　of　the　sublimily　of　a　religion　and　of　its　object。　The　man　that　is　actually　in　a　state　of　fear；　finding　in　himself　good　reason　to　be　so；　because　he　is　conscious　of　offending　with　his　evil　disposition　against　a　might　directed　by　a　will　at　once　irresistible　and　just；　is　far　from　being　in　the　frame　of　mind　for　admiring　divine　greatness；　for　which　a　temper　of　calm　reflection　and　a　quite　free　judgement　are　required。　Only　when　he　becomes　cons