the+critique+of+pure+reason_纯粹理性批判-第99节

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！


unconditioned；　which　is　not　given　as　an　actual　existence　from　the　mere
conception　of　it；　although　it　alone　can　give　pleteness　to　the
series　of　conditions。　And　this　is　the　natural　course　of　every　human
reason；　even　of　the　most　uneducated；　although　the　path　at　first
entered　it　does　not　always　continue　to　follow。　It　does　not　begin
from　conceptions；　but　from　mon　experience；　and　requires　a　basis
in　actual　existence。　But　this　basis　is　insecure；　unless　it　rests
upon　the　immovable　rock　of　the　absolutely　necessary。　And　this
foundation　is　itself　unworthy　of　trust；　if　it　leave　under　and　above　it
empty　space；　if　it　do　not　fill　all；　and　leave　no　room　for　a　why　or　a
wherefore；　if　it　be　not；　in　one　word；　infinite　in　its　reality。
　　If　we　admit　the　existence　of　some　one　thing；　whatever　it　may　be；
we　must　also　admit　that　there　is　something　which　exists　necessarily。
For　what　is　contingent　exists　only　under　the　condition　of　some　other
thing；　which　is　its　cause；　and　from　this　we　must　go　on　to　conclude　the
existence　of　a　cause　which　is　not　contingent；　and　which　consequently
exists　necessarily　and　unconditionally。　Such　is　the　argument　by
which　reason　justifies　its　advances　towards　a　primal　being。
　　Now　reason　looks　round　for　the　conception　of　a　being　that　may　be
admitted；　without　inconsistency；　to　be　worthy　of　the　attribute　of
absolute　necessity；　not　for　the　purpose　of　inferring　a　priori；　from
the　conception　of　such　a　being；　its　objective　existence　（for　if　reason
allowed　itself　to　take　this　course；　it　would　not　require　a　basis　in
given　and　actual　existence；　but　merely　the　support　of　pure
conceptions）；　but　for　the　purpose　of　discovering；　among　all　our
conceptions　of　possible　things；　that　conception　which　possesses　no
element　inconsistent　with　the　idea　of　absolute　necessity。　For　that
there　must　be　some　absolutely　necessary　existence；　it　regards　as　a
truth　already　established。　Now；　if　it　can　remove　every　existence
incapable　of　supporting　the　attribute　of　absolute　necessity；　excepting
one…　this　must　be　the　absolutely　necessary　being；　whether　its
necessity　is　prehensible　by　us；　that　is；　deducible　from　the
conception　of　it　alone；　or　not。
　　Now　that；　the　conception　of　which　contains　a　therefore　to　every
wherefore；　which　is　not　defective　in　any　respect　whatever；　which　is
all…sufficient　as　a　condition；　seems　to　be　the　being　of　which　we　can
justly　predicate　absolute　necessity…　for　this　reason；　that；　possessing
the　conditions　of　all　that　is　possible；　it　does　not　and　cannot
itself　require　any　condition。　And　thus　it　satisfies；　in　one　respect　at
least；　the　requirements　of　the　conception　of　absolute　necessity。　In
this　view；　it　is　superior　to　all　other　conceptions；　which；　as
deficient　and　inplete；　do　not　possess　the　characteristic　of
independence　of　all　higher　conditions。　It　is　true　that　we　cannot　infer
from　this　that　what　does　not　contain　in　itself　the　supreme　and
plete　condition…　the　condition　of　all　other　things…　must　possess
only　a　conditioned　existence；　but　as　little　can　we　assert　the
contrary；　for　this　supposed　being　does　not　possess　the　only
characteristic　which　can　enable　reason　to　cognize　by　means　of　an　a
priori　conception　the　unconditioned　and　necessary　nature　of　its
existence。
　　The　conception　of　an　ens　realissimum　is　that　which　best　agrees
with　the　conception　of　an　unconditioned　and　necessary　being。　The
former　conception　does　not　satisfy　all　the　requirements　of　the　latter；
but　we　have　no　choice；　we　are　obliged　to　adhere　to　it；　for　we　find
that　we　cannot　do　without　the　existence　of　a　necessary　being；　and　even
although　we　admit　it；　we　find　it　out　of　our　power　to　discover　in　the
whole　sphere　of　possibility　any　being　that　can　advance　wellgrounded
claims　to　such　a　distinction。
　　The　following　is；　therefore；　the　natural　course　of　human　reason。
It　begins　by　persuading　itself　of　the　existence　of　some　necessary
being。　In　this　being　it　recognizes　the　characteristics　of
unconditioned　existence。　It　then　seeks　the　conception　of　that　which　is
independent　of　all　conditions；　and　finds　it　in　that　which　is　itself
the　sufficient　condition　of　all　other　things…　in　other　words；　in
that　which　contains　all　reality。　But　the　unlimited　all　is　an
absolute　unity；　and　is　conceived　by　the　mind　as　a　being　one　and
supreme；　and　thus　reason　concludes　that　the　Supreme　Being；　as　the
primal　basis　of　all　things；　possesses　an　existence　which　is　absolutely
necessary。
　　This　conception　must　be　regarded　as　in　some　degree　satisfactory；
if　we　admit　the　existence　of　a　necessary　being；　and　consider　that
there　exists　a　necessity　for　a　definite　and　final　answer　to　these
questions。　In　such　a　case；　we　cannot　make　a　better　choice；　or　rather
we　have　no　choice　at　all；　but　feel　ourselves　obliged　to　declare　in
favour　of　the　absolute　unity　of　plete　reality；　as　the　highest
source　of　the　possibility　of　things。　But　if　there　exists　no　motive　for
ing　to　a　definite　conclusion；　and　we　may　leave　the　question
unanswered　till　we　have　fully　weighed　both　sides…　in　other　words；　when
we　are　merely　called　upon　to　decide　how　much　we　happen　to　know　about
the　question；　and　how　much　we　merely　flatter　ourselves　that　we　know…
the　above　conclusion　does　not　appear　to　be　so　great　advantage；　but；　on
the　contrary；　seems　defective　in　the　grounds　upon　which　it　is
supported。
　　For；　admitting　the　truth　of　all　that　has　been　said；　that；　namely；
the　inference　from　a　given　existence　（my　own；　for　example）　to　the
existence　of　an　unconditioned　and　necessary　being　is　valid　and
unassailable；　that；　in　the　second　place；　we　must　consider　a　being
which　contains　all　reality；　and　consequently　all　the　conditions　of
other　things；　to　be　absolutely　unconditioned；　and　admitting　too；
that　we　have　thus　discovered　the　conception　of　a　thing　to　which　may　be
attributed；　without　inconsistency；　absolute　necessity…　it　does　not
follow　from　all　this　that　the　conception　of　a　limited　being；　in
which　the　supreme　reality　does　not　reside；　is　therefore　inpatible
with　the　idea　of　absolute　necessity。　For；　although　I　do　not　discover
the　element　of　the　unconditioned　in　the　conception　of　such　a　being…　an
element　which　is　manifestly　existent　in　the　sum…total　of　all
conditions…　I　am　not　entitled　to　conclude　that　its　existence　is
therefore　conditioned；　just　as　I　am　not　entitled　to　affirm；　in　a
hypothetical　syllogism；　that　where　a　certain　condition　does　not
exist　（in　the　present；　pleteness；　as　far　as　pure　conceptions　are
concerned）；　the　conditioned　does　not　exist　either。　On　the　contrary；　we
are　free　to　consider　all　limited　beings　as　likewise　unconditionally
necessary；　although　we　are　unable　to　infer　this　from　the　general
conception　which　we　have　of　them。　Thus　conducted；　this　argument　is
incapable　of　giving　us　the　least　notion　of　the　properties　of　a
necessary　being；　and　must　be　in　every　respect　without　result。
　　This　argument　continues；　however；　to　possess　a　weight　and　an
authority；　which；　in　spite　of　its　objective　insufficiency；　it　has
never　been　divested　of。　For；　granting　that　certain　responsibilities
lie　upon　us；　which；　as　based　on　the　ideas　of　reason；　deserve　to　be
respected　and　submitted　to；　although　they　are　incapable　of　a　real　or
practical　application　to　our　nature；　or；　in　other　words；　would　be
responsibilities　without　motives；　except　upon　the　supposition　of　a
Supreme　Being　to　give　effect　and　influence　to　the　practical　laws：　in
such　a　case　we　should　be　bound　to　obey　our　conceptions；　which；
although　objectively　insufficient；　do；　according　to　the　standard　of
reason；　preponderate　over　and　are　superior　to　any　claims　that　may　be
advanced　from　any　other　quarter。　The　equilibrium　of　doubt　would　in
this　case　be　destroyed　by　a　practical　addition；　indeed；　Reason　would
be　pelled　to　condemn　herself；　if　she　refused　to　ply　with　the
demands　of　the　judgement；　no　superior　to　which　we　know…　however
defective　her　understanding　of　the　grounds　of　these　demands　might　be。
　　This　argument；　although　in　fact　transcendental；　inasmuch　as　it　rests
upon　the　intrinsic　insufficiency　of　the　contingent；　is　so　simple　and
natural；　that　the　monest　understanding　can　appreciate　its　value。　We
see　things　around　us　change；　arise；　and　pass　away；　they；　or　their
condition；　must　therefore　have　a　cause。　The　same　demand　must　again
be　made　of　the　cause　itself…　as　a　datum　of　experience。　Now　it　is
natural　that　we　should　place　the　highest　causality　just　where　we　place
supreme　causality；　in　that　being；　which　contains　the　conditions　of　all
possible　effects；　and　the　conception　of　which　is　so　simple　as　that
of　an　all…embracing　reality。　This　highest　cause；　then；　we　regard　as
absolutely　necessary；　because　we　find　it　absolutely　necessary　to
rise　to　it；　and　do　not　discover　any　reason　for　proceeding　beyond　it。
Thus；　among　all　nations；　through　the　darkest　polytheism　glimmer　some
faint　sparks　of　monotheism；　to　which　these　idolaters　have　been　led；
not　from　reflection　and　profound　thought；　but　by　the　study　and　natural
progress　of　the　mon　understanding。
　　There　are　only　three　modes　of　proving　the　existence　of　a　Deity；　on
the　grounds　of　speculative　reason。
　　All　the　paths　conducting　to　this　end　begin　either　from　determinate
experience　and　the　peculiar　constitution　of　the　world　of　sense；　and
rise；　according　to　the　law