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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　CRITIQUE　OF　PURE　REASON
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Immanuel　Kant
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　translated　by　J。　M。　D。　Meiklejohn
　　　　　　　　　　　　PREFACE　TO　THE　FIRST　EDITION；　1781

　　Human　reason；　in　one　sphere　of　its　cognition；　is　called　upon　to
consider　questions；　which　it　cannot　decline；　as　they　are　presented
by　its　own　nature；　but　which　it　cannot　answer；　as　they　transcend　every
faculty　of　the　mind。
　　It　falls　into　this　difficulty　without　any　fault　of　its　own。　It
begins　with　principles；　which　cannot　be　dispensed　with　in　the　field　of
experience；　and　the　truth　and　sufficiency　of　which　are；　at　the　same
time；　insured　by　experience。　With　these　principles　it　rises；　in
obedience　to　the　laws　of　its　own　nature；　to　ever　higher　and　more
remote　conditions。　But　it　quickly　discovers　that；　in　this　way；　its
labours　must　remain　ever　inplete；　because　new　questions　never　cease
to　present　themselves；　and　thus　it　finds　itself　pelled　to　have
recourse　to　principles　which　transcend　the　region　of　experience；　while
they　are　regarded　by　mon　sense　without　distrust。　It　thus　falls　into
confusion　and　contradictions；　from　which　it　conjectures　the　presence
of　latent　errors；　which；　however；　it　is　unable　to　discover；　because
the　principles　it　employs；　transcending　the　limits　of　experience；
cannot　be　tested　by　that　criterion。　The　arena　of　these　endless
contests　is　called　Metaphysic。
　　Time　was；　when　she　was　the　queen　of　all　the　sciences；　and；　if　we
take　the　will　for　the　deed；　she　certainly　deserves；　so　far　as
regards　the　high　importance　of　her　object…matter；　this　title　of
honour。　Now；　it　is　the　fashion　of　the　time　to　heap　contempt　and
scorn　upon　her；　and　the　matron　mourns；　forlorn　and　forsaken；　like
Hecuba：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Modo　maxima　rerum；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Tot　generis；　natisque　potens。。。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Nunc　trahor　exul；　inops。*

　　*Ovid；　Metamorphoses。　＇xiii；　〃But　late　on　the　pinnacle　of　fame；
strong　in　my　many　sons。　now　exiled；　penniless。〃＇

　　At　first；　her　government；　under　the　administration　of　the
dogmatists；　was　an　absolute　despotism。　But；　as　the　legislative
continued　to　show　traces　of　the　ancient　barbaric　rule；　her　empire
gradually　broke　up；　and　intestine　wars　introduced　the　reign　of
anarchy；　while　the　sceptics；　like　nomadic　tribes；　who　hate　a　permanent
habitation　and　settled　mode　of　living；　attacked　from　time　to　time
those　who　had　organized　themselves　into　civil　munities。　But　their
number　was；　very　happily；　small；　and　thus　they　could　not　entirely
put　a　stop　to　the　exertions　of　those　who　persisted　in　raising　new
edifices；　although　on　no　settled　or　uniform　plan。　In　recent　times
the　hope　dawned　upon　us　of　seeing　those　disputes　settled；　and　the
legitimacy　of　her　claims　established　by　a　kind　of　physiology　of　the
human　understanding…　that　of　the　celebrated　Locke。　But　it　was　found
that…　although　it　was　affirmed　that　this　so…called　queen　could　not
refer　her　descent　to　any　higher　source　than　that　of　mon　experience；
a　circumstance　which　necessarily　brought　suspicion　on　her　claims…　as
this　genealogy　was　incorrect；　she　persisted　in　the　advancement　of
her　claims　to　sovereignty。　Thus　metaphysics　necessarily　fell　back　into
the　antiquated　and　rotten　constitution　of　dogmatism；　and　again
became　obnoxious　to　the　contempt　from　which　efforts　had　been　made　to
save　it。　At　present；　as　all　methods；　according　to　the　general
persuasion；　have　been　tried　in　vain；　there　reigns　nought　but　weariness
and　plete　indifferentism…　the　mother　of　chaos　and　night　in　the
scientific　world；　but　at　the　same　time　the　source　of；　or　at　least
the　prelude　to；　the　re…creation　and　reinstallation　of　a　science；
when　it　has　fallen　into　confusion；　obscurity；　and　disuse　from　ill
directed　effort。
　　For　it　is　in　reality　vain　to　profess　indifference　in　regard　to
such　inquiries；　the　object　of　which　cannot　be　indifferent　to　humanity。
Besides；　these　pretended　indifferentists；　however　much　they　may　try　to
disguise　themselves　by　the　assumption　of　a　popular　style　and　by
changes　on　the　language　of　the　schools；　unavoidably　fall　into
metaphysical　declarations　and　propositions；　which　they　profess　to
regard　with　so　much　contempt。　At　the　same　time；　this　indifference；
which　has　arisen　in　the　world　of　science；　and　which　relates　to　that
kind　of　knowledge　which　we　should　wish　to　see　destroyed　the　last；　is　a
phenomenon　that　well　deserves　our　attention　and　reflection。　It　is
plainly　not　the　effect　of　the　levity；　but　of　the　matured　judgement*　of
the　age；　which　refuses　to　be　any　longer　entertained　with　illusory
knowledge；　It　is；　in　fact；　a　call　to　reason；　again　to　undertake　the
most　laborious　of　all　tasks…　that　of　self…examination…　and　to
establish　a　tribunal；　which　may　secure　it　in　its　well…grounded　claims；
while　it　pronounces　against　all　baseless　assumptions　and
pretensions；　not　in　an　arbitrary　manner；　but　according　to　its　own
eternal　and　unchangeable　laws。　This　tribunal　is　nothing　less　than
the　critical　investigation　of　pure　reason。

　　*We　very　often　hear　plaints　of　the　shallowness　of　the　present
age；　and　of　the　decay　of　profound　science。　But　I　do　not　think　that
those　which　rest　upon　a　secure　foundation；　such　as　mathematics；
physical　science；　etc。；　in　the　least　deserve　this　reproach；　but　that
they　rather　maintain　their　ancient　fame；　and　in　the　latter　case；
indeed；　far　surpass　it。　The　same　would　be　the　case　with　the　other
kinds　of　cognition；　if　their　principles　were　but　firmly　established。
In　the　absence　of　this　security；　indifference；　doubt；　and　finally；
severe　criticism　are　rather　signs　of　a　profound　habit　of　thought。
Our　age　is　the　age　of　criticism；　to　which　everything　must　be
subjected。　The　sacredness　of　religion；　and　the　authority　of
legislation；　are　by　many　regarded　as　grounds　of　exemption　from　the
examination　of　this　tribunal。　But；　if　they　on　they　are　exempted；
they　bee　the　subjects　of　just　suspicion；　and　cannot　lay　claim　to
sincere　respect；　which　reason　accords　only　to　that　which　has　stood　the
test　of　a　free　and　public　examination。

　　I　do　not　mean　by　this　a　criticism　of　books　and　systems；　but　a
critical　inquiry　into　the　faculty　of　reason；　with　reference　to　the
cognitions　to　which　it　strives　to　attain　without　the　aid　of
experience；　in　other　words；　the　solution　of　the　question　regarding　the
possibility　or　impossibility　of　metaphysics；　and　the　determination
of　the　origin；　as　well　as　of　the　extent　and　limits　of　this　science。
All　this　must　be　done　on　the　basis　of　principles。
　　This　path…　the　only　one　now　remaining…　has　been　entered　upon　by
me；　and　I　flatter　myself　that　I　have；　in　this　way；　discovered　the
cause　of…　and　consequently　the　mode　of　removing…　all　the　errors
which　have　hitherto　set　reason　at　variance　with　itself；　in　the
sphere　of　non…empirical　thought。　I　have　not　returned　an　evasive　answer
to　the　questions　of　reason；　by　alleging　the　inability　and　limitation
of　the　faculties　of　the　mind；　I　have；　on　the　contrary；　examined　them
pletely　in　the　light　of　principles；　and；　after　having　discovered
the　cause　of　the　doubts　and　contradictions　into　which　reason　fell；
have　solved　them　to　its　perfect　satisfaction。　It　is　true；　these
questions　have　not　been　solved　as　dogmatism；　in　its　vain　fancies　and
desires；　had　expected；　for　it　can　only　be　satisfied　by　the　exercise　of
magical　arts；　and　of　these　I　have　no　knowledge。　But　neither　do　these
e　within　the　pass　of　our　mental　powers；　and　it　was　the　duty　of
philosophy　to　destroy　the　illusions　which　had　their　origin　in
misconceptions；　whatever　darling　hopes　and　valued　expectations　may
be　ruined　by　its　explanations。　My　chief　aim　in　this　work　has　been
thoroughness；　and　I　make　bold　to　say　that　there　is　not　a　single
metaphysical　problem　that　does　not　find　its　solution；　or　at　least
the　key　to　its　solution；　here。　Pure　reason　is　a　perfect　unity；　and
therefore；　if　the　if　the　principle　presented　by　it　prove　to　be
insufficient　for　the　solution　of　even　a　single　one　of　those
questions　to　which　the　very　nature　of　reason　gives　birth；　we　must
reject　it；　as　we　could　not　be　perfectly　certain　of　its　sufficiency
in　the　case　of　the　others。
　　While　I　say　this；　I　think　I　see　upon　the　countenance　of　the　reader
signs　of　dissatisfaction　mingled　with　contempt；　when　he　hears
declarations　which　sound　so　boastful　and　extravagant；　and　yet　they　are
beyond　parison　more　moderate　than　those　advanced　by　the　monest
author　of　the　monest　philosophical　programme；　in　which　the
dogmatist　professes　to　demonstrate　the　simple　nature　of　the　soul；　or
the　necessity　of　a　primal　being。　Such　a　dogmatist　promises　to　extend
human　knowledge　beyond　the　limits　of　possible　experience；　while　I
humbly　confess　that　this　is　pletely　beyond　my　power。　Instead　of　any
such　attempt；　I　confine　myself　to　the　examination　of　reason　alone
and　its　pure　thought；　and　I　do　not　need　to　seek　far　for　the
sum…total　of　its　cognition；　because　it　has　its　seat　in　my　own　mind。
Besides；　mon　logic　presents　me　with　a　plete　and　systematic
catalogue　of　all　the　simple　operations　of　reason；　and　it　is　my　task　to
answer　the　question　how　far　reason　can　go；　without　the　material
presented　and　the　aid　furnished　by　experience。
　　So　much　for　the　pleteness　and　thoroughness　necessary　in　the
execution　of　the　present　task。　T