the+critique+of+pure+reason_纯粹理性批判-第64节

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　　*He　certainly　extended　the　application　of　his　conception　to
speculative　cognitions　also；　provided　they　were　given　pure　and
pletely　a　priori；　nay；　even　to　mathematics；　although　this　science
cannot　possess　an　object　otherwhere　than　in　Possible　experience。　I
cannot　follow　him　in　this；　and　as　little　can　I　follow　him　in　his
mystical　deduction　of　these　ideas；　or　in　his　hypostatization　of
them；　although；　in　truth；　the　elevated　and　exaggerated　language
which　he　employed　in　describing　them　is　quite　capable　of　an
interpretation　more　subdued　and　more　in　accordance　with　fact　and　the
nature　of　things。

　　The　Platonic　Republic　has　bee　proverbial　as　an　example…　and　a
striking　one…　of　imaginary　perfection；　such　as　can　exist　only　in　the
brain　of　the　idle　thinker；　and　Brucker　ridicules　the　philosopher　for
maintaining　that　a　prince　can　never　govern　well；　unless　he　is
participant　in　the　ideas。　But　we　should　do　better　to　follow　up　this
thought　and；　where　this　admirable　thinker　leaves　us　without
assistance；　employ　new　efforts　to　place　it　in　clearer　light；　rather
than　carelessly　fling　it　aside　as　useless；　under　the　very　miserable
and　pernicious　pretext　of　impracticability。　A　constitution　of　the
greatest　possible　human　freedom　according　to　laws；　by　which　the
liberty　of　every　individual　can　consist　with　the　liberty　of　every
other　（not　of　the　greatest　possible　happiness；　for　this　follows
necessarily　from　the　former）；　is；　to　say　the　least；　a　necessary
idea；　which　must　be　placed　at　the　foundation　not　only　of　the　first
plan　of　the　constitution　of　a　state；　but　of　all　its　laws。　And；　in
this；　it　not　necessary　at　the　outset　to　take　account　of　the
obstacles　which　lie　in　our　way…　obstacles　which　perhaps　do　not
necessarily　arise　from　the　character　of　human　nature；　but　rather
from　the　previous　neglect　of　true　ideas　in　legislation。　For　there　is
nothing　more　pernicious　and　more　unworthy　of　a　philosopher；　than　the
vulgar　appeal　to　a　so…called　adverse　experience；　which　indeed　would
not　have　existed；　if　those　institutions　had　been　established　at　the
proper　time　and　in　accordance　with　ideas；　while；　instead　of　this；
conceptions；　crude　for　the　very　reason　that　they　have　been　drawn
from　experience；　have　marred　and　frustrated　all　our　better　views　and
intentions。　The　more　legislation　and　government　are　in　harmony　with
this　idea；　the　more　rare　do　punishments　bee　and　thus　it　is　quite
reasonable　to　maintain；　as　Plato　did；　that　in　a　perfect　state　no
punishments　at　all　would　be　necessary。　Now　although　a　perfect　state
may　never　exist；　the　idea　is　not　on　that　account　the　less　just；
which　holds　up　this　maximum　as　the　archetype　or　standard　of　a
constitution；　in　order　to　bring　legislative　government　always　nearer
and　nearer　to　the　greatest　possible　perfection。　For　at　what　precise
degree　human　nature　must　stop　in　its　progress；　and　how　wide　must　be
the　chasm　which　must　necessarily　exist　between　the　idea　and　its
realization；　are　problems　which　no　one　can　or　ought　to　determine…
and　for　this　reason；　that　it　is　the　destination　of　freedom　to　overstep
all　assigned　limits　between　itself　and　the　idea。
　　But　not　only　in　that　wherein　human　reason　is　a　real　causal　agent　and
where　ideas　are　operative　causes　（of　actions　and　their　objects）；
that　is　to　say；　in　the　region　of　ethics；　but　also　in　regard　to
nature　herself；　Plato　saw　clear　proofs　of　an　origin　from　ideas。　A
plant；　and　animal；　the　regular　order　of　nature…　probably　also　the
disposition　of　the　whole　universe…　give　manifest　evidence　that　they
are　possible　only　by　means　of　and　according　to　ideas；　that；　indeed；　no
one　creature；　under　the　individual　conditions　of　its　existence；
perfectly　harmonizes　with　the　idea　of　the　most　perfect　of　its　kind…
just　as　little　as　man　with　the　idea　of　humanity；　which　nevertheless　he
bears　in　his　soul　as　the　archetypal　standard　of　his　actions；　that；
notwithstanding；　these　ideas　are　in　the　highest　sense　individually；
unchangeably；　and　pletely　determined；　and　are　the　original　causes
of　things；　and　that　the　totality　of　connected　objects　in　the
universe　is　alone　fully　adequate　to　that　idea。　Setting　aside　the
exaggerations　of　expression　in　the　writings　of　this　philosopher；　the
mental　power　exhibited　in　this　ascent　from　the　ectypal　mode　of
regarding　the　physical　world　to　the　architectonic　connection　thereof
according　to　ends；　that　is；　ideas；　is　an　effort　which　deserves
imitation　and　claims　respect。　But　as　regards　the　principles　of　ethics；
of　legislation；　and　of　religion；　spheres　in　which　ideas　alone　render
experience　possible；　although　they　never　attain　to　full　expression
therein；　he　has　vindicated　for　himself　a　position　of　peculiar　merit；
which　is　not　appreciated　only　because　it　is　judged　by　the　very
empirical　rules；　the　validity　of　which　as　principles　is　destroyed　by
ideas。　For　as　regards　nature；　experience　presents　us　with　rules　and　is
the　source　of　truth；　but　in　relation　to　ethical　laws　experience　is　the
parent　of　illusion；　and　it　is　in　the　highest　degree　reprehensible　to
limit　or　to　deduce　the　laws　which　dictate　what　I　ought　to　do；　from
what　is　done。
　　We　must；　however；　omit　the　consideration　of　these　important
subjects；　the　development　of　which　is　in　reality　the　peculiar　duty　and
dignity　of　philosophy；　and　confine　ourselves　for　the　present　to　the
more　humble　but　not　less　useful　task　of　preparing　a　firm　foundation
for　those　majestic　edifices　of　moral　science。　For　this　foundation
has　been　hitherto　insecure　from　the　many　subterranean　passages　which
reason　in　its　confident　but　vain　search　for　treasures　has　made　in
all　directions。　Our　present　duty　is　to　make　ourselves　perfectly
acquainted　with　the　transcendental　use　made　of　pure　reason；　its
principles　and　ideas；　that　we　may　be　able　properly　to　determine　and
value　its　influence　and　real　worth。　But　before　bringing　these
introductory　remarks　to　a　close；　I　beg　those　who　really　have
philosophy　at　heart…　and　their　number　is　but　small…　if　they　shall　find
themselves　convinced　by　the　considerations　following　as　well　as　by
those　above；　to　exert　themselves　to　preserve　to　the　expression　idea
its　original　signification；　and　to　take　care　that　it　be　not　lost　among
those　other　expressions　by　which　all　sorts　of　representations　are
loosely　designated…　that　the　interests　of　science　may　not　thereby
suffer。　We　are　in　no　want　of　words　to　denominate　adequately　every　mode
of　representation；　without　the　necessity　of　encroaching　upon　terms
which　are　proper　to　others。　The　following　is　a　graduated　list　of　them。
The　genus　is　representation　in　general　（representation。　Under　it
stands　representation　with　consciousness　（perceptio）。　A　perception
which　relates　solely　to　the　subject　as　a　modification　of　its　state；　is
a　sensation　（sensatio）；　an　objective　perception　is　a　cognition
（cognitio）。　A　cognition　is　either　an　intuition　or　a　conception
（intuitus　vel　conceptus）。　The　former　has　an　immediate　relation　to
the　object　and　is　singular　and　individual；　the　latter　has　but　a
mediate　relation；　by　means　of　a　characteristic　mark　which　may　be
mon　to　several　things。　A　conception　is　either　empirical　or　pure。
A　pure　conception；　in　so　far　as　it　has　its　origin　in　the　understanding
alone；　and　is　not　the　conception　of　a　pure　sensuous　image；　is　called
notio。　A　conception　formed　from　notions；　which　transcends　the
possibility　of　experience；　is　an　idea；　or　a　conception　of　reason。　To
one　who　has　accustomed　himself　to　these　distinctions；　it　must　be　quite
intolerable　to　hear　the　representation　of　the　colour　red　called　an
idea。　It　ought　not　even　to　be　called　a　notion　or　conception　of
understanding。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　SECTION　II。　Of　Transcendental　Ideas。

　　Transcendental　analytic　showed　us　how　the　mere　logical　form　of　our
cognition　can　contain　the　origin　of　pure　conceptions　a　priori；
conceptions　which　represent　objects　antecedently　to　all　experience；　or
rather；　indicate　the　synthetical　unity　which　alone　renders　possible　an
empirical　cognition　of　objects。　The　form　of　judgements…　converted　into
a　conception　of　the　synthesis　of　intuitions…　produced　the　categories
which　direct　the　employment　of　the　understanding　in　experience。　This
consideration　warrants　us　to　expect　that　the　form　of　syllogisms；
when　applied　to　synthetical　unity　of　intuitions；　following　the　rule　of
the　categories；　will　contain　the　origin　of　particular　a　priori
conceptions；　which　we　may　call　pure　conceptions　of　reason　or
transcendental　ideas；　and　which　will　determine　the　use　of　the
understanding　in　the　totality　of　experience　according　to　principles。
　　The　function　of　reason　in　arguments　consists　in　the　universality
of　a　cognition　according　to　conceptions；　and　the　syllogism　itself　is　a
judgement　which　is　determined　a　priori　in　the　whole　extent　of　its
condition。　The　proposition：　〃Caius　is　mortal；〃　is　one　which　may　be
obtained　from　experience　by　the　aid　of　the　understanding　alone；　but　my
wish　is　to　find　a　conception　which　contains　the　condition　under
which　the　predicate　of　this　judgement　is　given…　in　this　case；　the
conception　of　man…　and　after　subsuming　under　this　condition；　taken
in　its　whole　extent　（all　men　are　mortal）；　I　determine　according　to
it　the　cognition　of　the　object　thought；　and　say：　〃Caius　is　mortal。〃
　　Hence；　in　the　conclusion　of　a