the critique of practical reason-第37节

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　incapable　of　solving　satisfactorily　the　most　weighty　problems　that　are　proposed　to　it；　although　it　does　not　ignore　the　natural　and　important　hints　received　from　the　same　reason；　nor　the　great　steps　that　it　can　make　to　approach　to　this　great　goal　that　is　set　before　it；　which；　however；　it　can　never　reach　of　itself；　even　with　the　help　of　the　greatest　knowledge　of　nature。　Nature　then　seems　here　to　have　provided　us　only　in　a　stepmotherly　fashion　with　the　faculty　required　for　our　end。　　　Suppose；　now；　that　in　this　matter　nature　had　conformed　to　our　wish　and　had　given　us　that　capacity　of　discernment　or　that　enlightenment　which　we　would　gladly　possess；　or　which　some　imagine　they　actually　possess；　what　would　in　all　probability　be　the　consequence？　Unless　our　whole　nature　were　at　the　same　time　changed；　our　inclinations；　which　always　have　the　first　word；　would　first　of　all　demand　their　own　satisfaction；　and；　joined　with　rational　reflection；　the　greatest　possible　and　most　lasting　satisfaction；　under　the　name　of　happiness；　the　moral　law　would　afterwards　speak；　in　order　to　keep　them　within　their　proper　bounds；　and　even　to　subject　them　all　to　a　higher　end；　which　has　no　regard　to　inclination。　But　instead　of　the　conflict　that　the　moral　disposition　has　now　to　carry　on　with　the　inclinations；　in　which；　though　after　some　defeats；　moral　strength　of　mind　may　be　gradually　acquired；　God　and　eternity　with　their　awful　majesty　would　stand　unceasingly　before　our　eyes　（for　what　we　can　prove　perfectly　is　to　us　as　certain　as　that　of　which　we　are　assured　by　the　sight　of　our　eyes）。　Transgression　of　the　law；　would；　no　doubt；　be　avoided；　what　is　commanded　would　be　done；　but　the　mental　disposition；　from　which　actions　ought　to　proceed；　cannot　be　infused　by　any　command；　and　in　this　case　the　spur　of　action　is　ever　active　and　external；　so　that　reason　has　no　need　to　exert　itself　in　order　to　gather　strength　to　resist　the　inclinations　by　a　lively　representation　of　the　dignity　of　the　law：　hence　most　of　the　actions　that　conformed　to　the　law　would　be　done　from　fear；　a　few　only　from　hope；　and　none　at　all　from　duty；　and　the　moral　worth　of　actions；　on　which　alone　in　the　eyes　of　supreme　wisdom　the　worth　of　the　person　and　even　that　of　the　world　depends；　would　cease　to　exist。　As　long　as　the　nature　of　man　remains　what　it　is；　his　conduct　would　thus　be　changed　into　mere　mechanism；　in　which；　as　in　a　puppet…show；　everything　would　gesticulate　well；　but　there　would　be　no　life　in　the　figures。　Now；　when　it　is　quite　otherwise　with　us；　when　with　all　the　effort　of　our　reason　we　have　only　a　very　obscure　and　doubtful　view　into　the　future；　when　the　Governor　of　the　world　allows　us　only　to　conjecture　his　existence　and　his　majesty；　not　to　behold　them　or　prove　them　clearly；　and　on　the　other　hand；　the　moral　law　within　us；　without　promising　or　threatening　anything　with　certainty；　demands　of　us　disinterested　respect；　and　only　when　this　respect　has　become　active　and　dominant；　does　it　allow　us　by　means　of　it　a　prospect　into　the　world　of　the　supersensible；　and　then　only　with　weak　glances：　all　this　being　so；　there　is　room　for　true　moral　disposition；　immediately　devoted　to　the　law；　and　a　rational　creature　can　become　worthy　of　sharing　in　the　summum　bonum　that　corresponds　to　the　worth　of　his　person　and　not　merely　to　his　actions。　Thus　what　the　study　of　nature　and　of　man　teaches　us　sufficiently　elsewhere　may　well　be　true　here　also；　that　the　unsearchable　wisdom　by　which　we　exist　is　not　less　worthy　of　admiration　in　what　it　has　denied　than　in　what　it　has　granted。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　SECOND　PART。

　　　　　　　　　　Methodology　of　Pure　Practical　Reason。

　　By　the　methodology　of　pure　practical　reason　we　are　not　to　understand　the　mode　of　proceeding　with　pure　practical　principles　（whether　in　study　or　in　exposition）；　with　a　view　to　a　scientific　knowledge　of　them；　which　alone　is　what　is　properly　called　method　elsewhere　in　theoretical　philosophy　（for　popular　knowledge　requires　a　manner；　science　a　method；　i。e。；　a　process　according　to　principles　of　reason　by　which　alone　the　manifold　of　any　branch　of　knowledge　can　become　a　system）。　On　the　contrary；　by　this　methodology　is　understood　the　mode　in　which　we　can　give　the　laws　of　pure　practical　reason　access　to　the　human　mind　and　influence　on　its　maxims；　that　is；　by　which　we　can　make　the　objectively　practical　reason　subjectively　practical　also。　　　Now　it　is　clear　enough　that　those　determining　principles　of　the　will　which　alone　make　maxims　properly　moral　and　give　them　a　moral　worth；　namely；　the　direct　conception　of　the　law　and　the　objective　necessity　of　obeying　it　as　our　duty；　must　be　regarded　as　the　proper　springs　of　actions；　since　otherwise　legality　of　actions　might　be　produced；　but　not　morality　of　character。　But　it　is　not　so　clear；　on　the　contrary；　it　must　at　first　sight　seem　to　every　one　very　improbable　that　even　subjectively　that　exhibition　of　pure　virtue　can　have　more　power　over　the　human　mind；　and　supply　a　far　stronger　spring　even　for　effecting　that　legality　of　actions；　and　can　produce　more　powerful　resolutions　to　prefer　the　law；　from　pure　respect　for　it；　to　every　other　consideration；　than　all　the　deceptive　allurements　of　pleasure　or　of　all　that　may　be　reckoned　as　happiness；　or　even　than　all　threatenings　of　pain　and　misfortune。　Nevertheless；　this　is　actually　the　case；　and　if　human　nature　were　not　so　constituted；　no　mode　of　presenting　the　law　by　roundabout　ways　and　indirect　recommendations　would　ever　produce　morality　of　character。　All　would　be　simple　hypocrisy；　the　law　would　be　hated；　or　at　least　despised；　while　it　was　followed　for　the　sake　of　one's　own　advantage。　The　letter　of　the　law　（legality）　would　be　found　in　our　actions；　but　not　the　spirit　of　it　in　our　minds　（morality）；　and　as　with　all　our　efforts　we　could　not　quite　free　ourselves　from　reason　in　our　judgement；　we　must　inevitably　appear　in　our　own　eyes　worthless；　depraved　men；　even　though　we　should　seek　to　compensate　ourselves　for　this　mortification　before　the　inner　tribunal；　by　enjoying　the　pleasure　that　a　supposed　natural　or　divine　law　might　be　imagined　to　have　connected　with　it　a　sort　of　police　machinery；　regulating　its　operations　by　what　was　done　without　troubling　itself　about　the　motives　for　doing　it。　　　It　cannot　indeed　be　denied　that　in　order　to　bring　an　uncultivated　or　degraded　mind　into　the　track　of　moral　goodness　some　preparatory　guidance　is　necessary；　to　attract　it　by　a　view　of　its　own　advantage；　or　to　alarm　it　by　fear　of　loss；　but　as　soon　as　this　mechanical　work；　these　leading…strings　have　produced　some　effect；　then　we　must　bring　before　the　mind　the　pure　moral　motive；　which；　not　only　because　it　is　the　only　one　that　can　be　the　foundation　of　a　character　（a　practically　consistent　habit　of　mind　with　unchangeable　maxims）；　but　also　because　it　teaches　a　man　to　feel　his　own　dignity；　gives　the　mind　a　power　unexpected　even　by　himself；　to　tear　himself　from　all　sensible　attachments　so　far　as　they　would　fain　have　the　rule；　and　to　find　a　rich　compensation　for　the　sacrifice　he　offers；　in　the　independence　of　his　rational　nature　and　the　greatness　of　soul　to　which　he　sees　that　he　is　destined。　We　will　therefore　show；　by　such　observations　as　every　one　can　make；　that　this　property　of　our　minds；　this　receptivity　for　a　pure　moral　interest；　and　consequently　the　moving　force　of　the　pure　conception　of　virtue；　when　it　is　properly　applied　to　the　human　heart；　is　the　most　powerful　spring　and；　when　a　continued　and　punctual　observance　of　moral　maxims　is　in　question；　the　only　spring　of　good　conduct。　It　must；　however；　be　remembered　that　if　these　observations　only　prove　the　reality　of　such　a　feeling；　but　do　not　show　any　moral　improvement　brought　about　by　it；　this　is　no　argument　against　the　only　method　that　exists　of　making　the　objectively　practical　laws　of　pure　reason　subjectively　practical；　through　the　mere　force　of　the　conception　of　duty；　nor　does　it　prove　that　this　method　is　a　vain　delusion。　For　as　it　has　never　yet　come　into　vogue；　experience　can　say　nothing　of　its　results；　one　can　only　ask　for　proofs　of　the　receptivity　for　such　springs；　and　these　I　will　now　briefly　present；　and　then　sketch　the　method　of　founding　and　cultivating　genuine　moral　dispositions。　　　When　we　attend　to　the　course　of　conversation　in　mixed　companies；　consisting　not　merely　of　learned　persons　and　subtle　reasoners；　but　also　of　men　of　business　or　of　women；　we　observe　that；　besides　story…telling　and　jesting；　another　kind　of　entertainment　finds　a　place　in　them；　namely；　argument；　for　stories；　if　they　are　to　have　novelty　and　interest；　are　soon　exhausted；　and　jesting　is　likely　to　become　insipid。　Now　of　all　argument　there　is　none　in　which　persons　are　more　ready　to　join　who　find　any　other　subtle　discussion　tedious；　none　that　brings　more　liveliness　into　the　company；　than　that　which　concerns　the　moral　worth　of　this　or　that　action　by　which　the　character　of　some　person　is　to　be　made　out。　Persons；　to　whom　in　other　cases　anything　subtle　and　speculative　in　theoretical　questions　is　dry　and　irksome；　presently　join　in　when　the　question　is　to　make　out　the　moral　import　of　a　good　or　bad　action　that　has　been　related；　and　they　display　an　exactness；　a　refinement；　a　subtlety；　in　excogitating　everything　that　can　lessen　the　purity　of　purpose；　and　consequently　the　degree　of　virtue　in　it；　which　we　do　not　expect　from