the+critique+of+pure+reason_纯粹理性批判-第71节

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something　real；　and　the　simplicity　of　its　nature　is　given　in　the
very　fact　of　its　possibility。　Now　in　space　there　is　nothing　real
that　is　at　the　same　time　simple；　for　points；　which　are　the　only　simple
things　in　space；　are　merely　limits；　but　not　constituent　parts　of
space。　From　this　follows　the　impossibility　of　a　definition　on　the
basis　of　materialism　of　the　constitution　of　my　Ego　as　a　merely
thinking　subject。　But；　because　my　existence　is　considered　in　the　first
proposition　as　given；　for　it　does　not　mean；　〃Every　thinking　being
exists〃　（for　this　would　be　predicating　of　them　absolute　necessity）；
but　only；　〃I　exist　thinking〃；　the　proposition　is　quite　empirical；
and　contains　the　determinability　of　my　existence　merely　in　relation　to
my　representations　in　time。　But　as　I　require　for　this　purpose
something　that　is　permanent；　such　as　is　not　given　in　internal
intuition；　the　mode　of　my　existence；　whether　as　substance　or　as
accident；　cannot　be　determined　by　means　of　this　simple
self…consciousness。　Thus；　if　materialism　is　inadequate　to　explain
the　mode　in　which　I　exist；　spiritualism　is　likewise　as　insufficient；
and　the　conclusion　is　that　we　are　utterly　unable　to　attain　to　any
knowledge　of　the　constitution　of　the　soul；　in　so　far　as　relates　to　the
possibility　of　its　existence　apart　from　external　objects。
　　And；　indeed；　how　should　it　be　possible；　merely　by　the　aid　of　the
unity　of　consciousness…　which　we　cognize　only　for　the　reason　that　it
is　indispensable　to　the　possibility　of　experience…　to　pass　the
bounds　of　experience　（our　existence　in　this　life）；　and　to　extend　our
cognition　to　the　nature　of　all　thinking　beings　by　means　of　the
empirical…　but　in　relation　to　every　sort　of　intuition；　perfectly
undetermined…　proposition；　〃I　think〃？
　　There　does　not　then　exist　any　rational　psychology　as　a　doctrine
furnishing　any　addition　to　our　knowledge　of　ourselves。　It　is　nothing
more　than　a　discipline；　which　sets　impassable　limits　to　speculative
reason　in　this　region　of　thought；　to　prevent　it；　on　the　one　hand；　from
throwing　itself　into　the　arms　of　a　soulless　materialism；　and；　on　the
other；　from　losing　itself　in　the　mazes　of　a　baseless　spiritualism。
It　teaches　us　to　consider　this　refusal　of　our　reason　to　give　any
satisfactory　answer　to　questions　which　reach　beyond　the　limits　of　this
our　human　life；　as　a　hint　to　abandon　fruitless　speculation；　and　to
direct；　to　a　practical　use；　our　knowledge　of　ourselves…　which；
although　applicable　only　to　objects　of　experience；　receives　its
principles　from　a　higher　source；　and　regulates　its　procedure　as　if　our
destiny　reached　far　beyond　the　boundaries　of　experience　and　life。
　　From　all　this　it　is　evident　that　rational　psychology　has　its
origin　in　a　mere　misunderstanding。　The　unity　of　consciousness；　which
lies　at　the　basis　of　the　categories；　is　considered　to　be　an
intuition　of　the　subject　as　an　object；　and　the　category　of　substance
is　applied　to　the　intuition。　But　this　unity　is　nothing　more　than　the
unity　in　thought；　by　which　no　object　is　given；　to　which　therefore
the　category　of　substance…　which　always　presupposes　a　given　intuition…
cannot　be　applied。　Consequently；　the　subject　cannot　be　cognized。　The
subject　of　the　categories　cannot；　therefore；　for　the　very　reason
that　it　cogitates　these；　frame　any　conception　of　itself　as　an　object
of　the　categories；　for；　to　cogitate　these；　it　must　lay　at　the
foundation　its　own　pure　self…consciousness…　the　very　thing　that　it
wishes　to　explain　and　describe。　In　like　manner；　the　subject；　in
which　the　representation　of　time　has　its　basis；　cannot　determine；
for　this　very　reason；　its　own　existence　in　time。　Now；　if　the　latter　is
impossible；　the　former；　as　an　attempt　to　determine　itself　by　means
of　the　categories　as　a　thinking　being　in　general；　is　no　less　so。*

　　*The　〃I　think〃　is；　as　has　been　already　stated；　an　empirical
proposition；　and　contains　the　proposition；　〃I　exist。〃　But　I　cannot
say；　〃Everything；　which　thinks；　exists〃；　for　in　this　case　the　property
of　thought　would　constitute　all　beings　possessing　it；　necessary
being　Hence　my　existence　cannot　be　considered　as　an　inference　from　the
proposition；　〃I　think；〃　as　Descartes　maintained…　because　in　this
case　the　major　premiss；　〃Everything；　which　thinks；　exists；〃　must
precede…　but　the　two　propositions　are　identical。　The　proposition；　〃I
think；〃　expresses　an　undetermined　empirical　intuition；　that　perception
（proving　consequently　that　sensation；　which　must　belong　to
sensibility；　lies　at　the　foundation　of　this　proposition）；　but　it
precedes　experience；　whose　province　it　is　to　determine　an　object　of
perception　by　means　of　the　categories　in　relation　to　time；　and
existence　in　this　proposition　is　not　a　category；　as　it　does　not
apply　to　an　undetermined　given　object；　but　only　to　one　of　which　we
have　a　conception；　and　about　which　we　wish　to　know　whether　it　does
or　does　not　exist；　out　of；　and　apart　from　this　conception。　An
undetermined　perception　signifies　here　merely　something　real　that
has　been　given；　only；　however；　to　thought　in　general…　but　not　as　a
phenomenon；　nor　as　a　thing　in　itself　（noumenon）；　but　only　as　something
that　really　exists；　and　is　designated　as　such　in　the　proposition；　〃I
think。〃　For　it　must　be　remarked　that；　when　I　call　the　proposition；
〃I　think；〃　an　empirical　proposition；　I　do　not　thereby　mean　that　the
Ego　in　the　proposition　is　an　empirical　representation；　on　the
contrary；　it　is　purely　intellectual；　because　it　belongs　to　thought
in　general。　But　without　some　empirical　representation；　which
presents　to　the　mind　material　for　thought；　the　mental　act；　〃I
think；〃　would　not　take　place；　and　the　empirical　is　only　the
condition　of　the　application　or　employment　of　the　pure　intellectual
faculty。

　　Thus；　then；　appears　the　vanity　of　the　hope　of　establishing　a
cognition　which　is　to　extend　its　rule　beyond　the　limits　of　experience…
a　cognition　which　is　one　of　the　highest　interests　of　humanity；　and
thus　is　proved　the　futility　of　the　attempt　of　speculative　philosophy
in　this　region　of　thought。　But；　in　this　interest　of　thought；　the
severity　of　criticism　has　rendered　to　reason　a　not　unimportant
service；　by　the　demonstration　of　the　impossibility　of　making　any
dogmatical　affirmation　concerning　an　object　of　experience　beyond　the
boundaries　of　experience。　She　has　thus　fortified　reason　against　all
affirmations　of　the　contrary。　Now；　this　can　be　acplished　in　only
two　ways。　Either　our　proposition　must　be　proved　apodeictically；　or；　if
this　is　unsuccessful；　the　sources　of　this　inability　must　be　sought
for；　and；　if　these　are　discovered　to　exist　in　the　natural　and
necessary　limitation　of　our　reason；　our　opponents　must　submit　to　the
same　law　of　renunciation　and　refrain　from　advancing　claims　to　dogmatic
assertion。
　　But　the　right；　say　rather　the　necessity　to　admit　a　future　life；　upon
principles　of　the　practical　conjoined　with　the　speculative　use　of
reason；　has　lost　nothing　by　this　renunciation；　for　the　merely
speculative　proof　has　never　had　any　influence　upon　the　mon　reason
of　men。　It　stands　upon　the　point　of　a　hair；　so　that　even　the　schools
have　been　able　to　preserve　it　from　falling　only　by　incessantly
discussing　it　and　spinning　it　like　a　top；　and　even　in　their　eyes　it
has　never　been　able　to　present　any　safe　foundation　for　the　erection　of
a　theory。　The　proofs　which　have　been　current　among　men；　preserve　their
value　undiminished；　nay；　rather　gain　in　clearness　and
unsophisticated　power；　by　the　rejection　of　the　dogmatical
assumptions　of　speculative　reason。　For　reason　is　thus　confined
within　her　own　peculiar　province…　the　arrangement　of　ends　or　aims；
which　is　at　the　same　time　the　arrangement　of　nature；　and；　as　a
practical　faculty；　without　limiting　itself　to　the　latter；　it　is
justified　in　extending　the　former；　and　with　it　our　own　existence；
beyond　the　boundaries　of　experience　and　life。　If　we　turn　our　attention
to　the　analogy　of　the　nature　of　living　beings　in　this　world；　in　the
consideration　of　which　reason　is　obliged　to　accept　as　a　principle　that
no　organ；　no　faculty；　no　appetite　is　useless；　and　that　nothing　is
superfluous；　nothing　disproportionate　to　its　use；　nothing　unsuited
to　its　end；　but　that；　on　the　contrary；　everything　is　perfectly
conformed　to　its　destination　in　life…　we　shall　find　that　man；　who
alone　is　the　final　end　and　aim　of　this　order；　is　still　the　only　animal
that　seems　to　be　excepted　from　it。　For　his　natural　gifts…　not　merely
as　regards　the　talents　and　motives　that　may　incite　him　to　employ　them；
but　especially　the　moral　law　in　him…　stretch　so　far　beyond　all　mere
earthly　utility　and　advantage；　that　he　feels　himself　bound　to　prize
the　mere　consciousness　of　probity；　apart　from　all　advantageous
consequences…　even　the　shadowy　gift　of　posthumous　fame…　above
everything；　and　he　is　conscious　of　an　inward　call　to　constitute
himself；　by　his　conduct　in　this　world…　without　regard　to　mere
sublunary　interests…　the　citizen　of　a　better。　This　mighty；
irresistible　proof…　acpanied　by　an　ever…increasing　knowledge　of　the
conformability　to　a　purpose　in　everything　we　see　around　us；　by　the
conviction　of　the　boundless　immensity　of　creation；　by　the
consciousness　of　a　certain　illimitableness　in　the　possible　extension
of　our　knowledge；　and　by　a　desire　mensurate　therewit