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第67章

the critique of pure reason-第67章

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themselves。 The internal state of substances cannot therefore

consist in place; shape; contact; or motion; determinations which

are all external relations; and we can ascribe to them no other than

that whereby we internally determine our faculty of sense itself; that

is to say; the state of representation。 Thus; then; were constructed

the monads; which were to form the elements of the universe; the

active force of which consists in representation; the effects of

this force being thus entirely confined to themselves。

  For the same reason; his view of the possible community of

substances could not represent it but as a predetermined harmony;

and by no means as a physical influence。 For inasmuch as everything is

occupied only internally; that is; with its own representations; the

state of the representations of one substance could not stand in

active and living connection with that of another; but some third

cause operating on all without exception was necessary to make the

different states correspond with one another。 And this did not

happen by means of assistance applied in each particular case (systema

assistentiae); but through the unity of the idea of a cause occupied

and connected with all substances; in which they necessarily

receive; according to the Leibnitzian school; their existence and

permanence; consequently also reciprocal correspondence; according

to universal laws。

  4th。 This philosopher's celebrated doctrine of space and time; in

which he intellectualized these forms of sensibility; originated in

the same delusion of transcendental reflection。 If I attempt to

represent by the mere understanding; the external relations of things;

I can do so only by employing the conception of their reciprocal

action; and if I wish to connect one state of the same thing with

another state; I must avail myself of the notion of the order of cause

and effect。 And thus Leibnitz regarded space as a certain order in the

community of substances; and time as the dynamical sequence of their

states。 That which space and time possess proper to themselves and

independent of things; he ascribed to a necessary confusion in our

conceptions of them; whereby that which is a mere form of dynamical

relations is held to be a self…existent intuition; antecedent even

to things themselves。 Thus space and time were the intelligible form

of the connection of things (substances and their states) in

themselves。 But things were intelligible substances (substantiae

noumena)。 At the same time; he made these conceptions valid of

phenomena; because he did not allow to sensibility a peculiar mode

of intuition; but sought all; even the empirical representation of

objects; in the understanding; and left to sense naught but the

despicable task of confusing and disarranging the representations of

the former。

  But even if we could frame any synthetical proposition concerning

things in themselves by means of the pure understanding (which is

impossible); it could not apply to phenomena; which do not represent

things in themselves。 In such a case I should be obliged in

transcendental reflection to compare my conceptions only under the

conditions of sensibility; and so space and time would not be

determinations of things in themselves; but of phenomena。 What

things may be in themselves; I know not and need not know; because a

thing is never presented to me otherwise than as a phenomenon。

  I must adopt the same mode of procedure with the other conceptions

of reflection。 Matter is substantia phaenomenon。 That in it which is

internal I seek to discover in all parts of space which it occupies;

and in all the functions and operations it performs; and which are

indeed never anything but phenomena of the external sense。 I cannot

therefore find anything that is absolutely; but only what is

comparatively internal; and which itself consists of external

relations。 The absolutely internal in matter; and as it should be

according to the pure understanding; is a mere chimera; for matter

is not an object for the pure understanding。 But the transcendental

object; which is the foundation of the phenomenon which we call

matter; is a mere nescio quid; the nature of which we could not

understand; even though someone were found able to tell us。 For we can

understand nothing that does not bring with it something in

intuition corresponding to the expressions employed。 If; by the

complaint of being unable to perceive the internal nature of things;

it is meant that we do not comprehend by the pure understanding what

the things which appear to us may be in themselves; it is a silly

and unreasonable complaint; for those who talk thus really desire that

we should be able to cognize; consequently to intuite; things

without senses; and therefore wish that we possessed a faculty of

cognition perfectly different from the human faculty; not merely in

degree; but even as regards intuition and the mode thereof; so that

thus we should not be men; but belong to a class of beings; the

possibility of whose existence; much less their nature and

constitution; we have no means of cognizing。 By observation and

analysis of phenomena we penetrate into the interior of nature; and no

one can say what progress this knowledge may make in time。 But those

transcendental questions which pass beyond the limits of nature; we

could never answer; even although all nature were laid open to us;

because we have not the power of observing our own mind with any other

intuition than that of our internal sense。 For herein lies the mystery

of the origin and source of our faculty of sensibility。 Its

application to an object; and the transcendental ground of this

unity of subjective and objective; lie too deeply concealed for us;

who cognize ourselves only through the internal sense; consequently as

phenomena; to be able to discover in our existence anything but

phenomena; the non…sensuous cause of which we at the same time

earnestly desire to penetrate to。

  The great utility of this critique of conclusions arrived at by

the processes of mere reflection consists in its clear demonstration

of the nullity of all conclusions respecting objects which are

compared with each other in the understanding alone; while it at the

same time confirms what we particularly insisted on; namely; that;

although phenomena are not included as things in themselves among

the objects of the pure understanding; they are nevertheless the

only things by which our cognition can possess objective reality; that

is to say; which give us intuitions to correspond with our

conceptions。

  When we reflect in a purely logical manner; we do nothing more

than compare conceptions in our understanding; to discover whether

both have the same content; whether they are self…contradictory or

not; whether anything is contained in either conception; which of

the two is given; and which is merely a mode of thinking that given。

But if I apply these conceptions to an object in general (in the

transcendental sense); without first determining whether it is an

object of sensuous or intellectual intuition; certain limitations

present themselves; which forbid us to pass beyond the conceptions and

render all empirical use of them impossible。 And thus these

limitations prove that the representation of an object as a thing in

general is not only insufficient; but; without sensuous

determination and independently of empirical conditions;

self…contradictory; that we must therefore make abstraction of all

objects; as in logic; or; admitting them; must think them under

conditions of sensuous intuition; that; consequently; the intelligible

requires an altogether peculiar intuition; which we do not possess;

and in the absence of which it is for us nothing; while; on the

other hand phenomena cannot be objects in themselves。 For; when I

merely think things in general; the difference in their external

relations cannot constitute a difference i

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