太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > the critique of pure reason >

第10节

the critique of pure reason-第10节

小说: the critique of pure reason 字数: 每页4000字

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!




therefore at once proceed to examine the difference between these

two modes of knowledge。



  IV。 Of the Difference Between Analytical and Synthetical Judgements。



  In all judgements wherein the relation of a subject to the predicate

is cogitated (I mention affirmative judgements only here; the

application to negative will be very easy); this relation is

possible in two different ways。 Either the predicate B belongs to

the subject A; as somewhat which is contained (though covertly) in the

conception A; or the predicate B lies completely out of the conception

A; although it stands in connection with it。 In the first instance;

I term the judgement analytical; in the second; synthetical。

Analytical judgements (affirmative) are therefore those in which the

connection of the predicate with the subject is cogitated through

identity; those in which this connection is cogitated without

identity; are called synthetical judgements。 The former may be

called explicative; the latter augmentative judgements; because the

former add in the predicate nothing to the conception of the

subject; but only analyse it into its constituent conceptions; which

were thought already in the subject; although in a confused manner;

the latter add to our conceptions of the subject a predicate which was

not contained in it; and which no analysis could ever have

discovered therein。 For example; when I say; 〃All bodies are

extended;〃 this is an analytical judgement。 For I need not go beyond

the conception of body in order to find extension connected with it;

but merely analyse the conception; that is; become conscious of the

manifold properties which I think in that conception; in order to

discover this predicate in it: it is therefore an analytical

judgement。 On the other hand; when I say; 〃All bodies are heavy;〃

the predicate is something totally different from that which I think

in the mere conception of a body。 By the addition of such a predicate;

therefore; it becomes a synthetical judgement。

  Judgements of experience; as such; are always synthetical。 For it

would be absurd to think of grounding an analytical judgement on

experience; because in forming such a judgement I need not go out of

the sphere of my conceptions; and therefore recourse to the

testimony of experience is quite unnecessary。 That 〃bodies are

extended〃 is not an empirical judgement; but a proposition which

stands firm a priori。 For before addressing myself to experience; I

already have in my conception all the requisite conditions for the

judgement; and I have only to extract the predicate from the

conception; according to the principle of contradiction; and thereby

at the same time become conscious of the necessity of the judgement; a

necessity which I could never learn from experience。 On the other

hand; though at first I do not at all include the predicate of

weight in my conception of body in general; that conception still

indicates an object of experience; a part of the totality of

experience; to which I can still add other parts; and this I do when I

recognize by observation that bodies are heavy。 I can cognize

beforehand by analysis the conception of body through the

characteristics of extension; impenetrability; shape; etc。; all

which are cogitated in this conception。 But now I extend my knowledge;

and looking back on experience from which I had derived this

conception of body; I find weight at all times connected with the

above characteristics; and therefore I synthetically add to my

conceptions this as a predicate; and say; 〃All bodies are heavy。〃 Thus

it is experience upon which rests the possibility of the synthesis

of the predicate of weight with the conception of body; because both

conceptions; although the one is not contained in the other; still

belong to one another (only contingently; however); as parts of a

whole; namely; of experience; which is itself a synthesis of

intuitions。

  But to synthetical judgements a priori; such aid is entirely

wanting。 If I go out of and beyond the conception A; in order to

recognize another B as connected with it; what foundation have I to

rest on; whereby to render the synthesis possible? I have here no

longer the advantage of looking out in the sphere of experience for

what I want。 Let us take; for example; the proposition; 〃Everything

that happens has a cause。〃 In the conception of 〃something that

happens;〃 I indeed think an existence which a certain time

antecedes; and from this I can derive analytical judgements。 But the

conception of a cause lies quite out of the above conception; and

indicates something entirely different from 〃that which happens;〃

and is consequently not contained in that conception。 How then am I

able to assert concerning the general conception… 〃that which

happens〃… something entirely different from that conception; and to

recognize the conception of cause although not contained in it; yet as

belonging to it; and even necessarily? what is here the unknown = X;

upon which the understanding rests when it believes it has found;

out of the conception A a foreign predicate B; which it nevertheless

considers to be connected with it? It cannot be experience; because

the principle adduced annexes the two representations; cause and

effect; to the representation existence; not only with universality;

which experience cannot give; but also with the expression of

necessity; therefore completely a priori and from pure conceptions。

Upon such synthetical; that is augmentative propositions; depends

the whole aim of our speculative knowledge a priori; for although

analytical judgements are indeed highly important and necessary;

they are so; only to arrive at that clearness of conceptions which

is requisite for a sure and extended synthesis; and this alone is a

real acquisition。



  V。 In all Theoretical Sciences of Reason; Synthetical Judgements

     〃a priori〃 are contained as Principles。



  1。 Mathematical judgements are always synthetical。 Hitherto this

fact; though incontestably true and very important in its

consequences; seems to have escaped the analysts of the human mind;

nay; to be in complete opposition to all their conjectures。 For as

it was found that mathematical conclusions all proceed according to

the principle of contradiction (which the nature of every apodeictic

certainty requires); people became persuaded that the fundamental

principles of the science also were recognized and admitted in the

same way。 But the notion is fallacious; for although a synthetical

proposition can certainly be discerned by means of the principle of

contradiction; this is possible only when another synthetical

proposition precedes; from which the latter is deduced; but never of

itself which

  Before all; be it observed; that proper mathematical propositions

are always judgements a priori; and not empirical; because they

carry along with them the conception of necessity; which cannot be

given by experience。 If this be demurred to; it matters not; I will

then limit my assertion to pure mathematics; the very conception of

which implies that it consists of knowledge altogether non…empirical

and a priori。

  We might; indeed at first suppose that the proposition 7 + 5 = 12 is

a merely analytical proposition; following (according to the principle

of contradiction) from the conception of a sum of seven and five。

But if we regard it more narrowly; we find that our conception of

the sum of seven and five contains nothing more than the uniting of

both sums into one; whereby it cannot at all be cogitated what this

single number is which embraces both。 The conception of twelve is by

no means obtained by merely cogitating the union of seven and five;

and we may analyse our conception of such a possible sum as long as we

will; still we shall never discover in it the notion of twelve。 We

must go beyond these conceptions; and have recourse to an intuition

which corresponds to one of the two… our five fingers; for example; or

like Segner in his Arithmetic five points; and so by degrees; add

the units contained in the five given in the intuition; to the

conception of seven。 For I first take the number 7; and; for the

conception of 5 calling in the aid of the fingers of my hand as

objects of intuition; I add the units; which I before took together to

make up the number 5; gradually now by means of the material image

my hand; to the number 7; and by this process; I at length see the

number 12 arise。 That 7 should be added to 5; I have certainly

cogitated in my conception of a sum = 7 + 5; but not that this sum was

equal to 12。 Arithmetical propositions are therefore always

synthetical; of which we may become more clearly convinced by trying

large numbers。 For it will thus become quite evident that; turn and

twist our conceptions as we may; it is impossible; without having

recourse to intuition; to arrive at the sum total or product by

means of the m

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 1 1

你可能喜欢的