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第77章

the critique of pure reason-第77章

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stands under the condition of the former; 〃Bodies are compound;〃 and

hence to a third; which at length connects for me the remote cognition

(changeable) with the one before me; 〃Consequently; bodies are

changeable〃… I have arrived at a cognition (conclusion) through a

series of conditions (premisses)。 Now every series; whose exponent (of

the categorical or hypothetical judgement) is given; can be continued;

consequently the same procedure of reason conducts us to the

ratiocinatio polysyllogistica; which is a series of syllogisms; that

can be continued either on the side of the conditions (per

prosyllogismos) or of the conditioned (per episyllogismos) to an

indefinite extent。

  But we very soon perceive that the chain or series of prosyllogisms;

that is; of deduced cognitions on the side of the grounds or

conditions of a given cognition; in other words; the ascending

series of syllogisms must have a very different relation to the

faculty of reason from that of the descending series; that is; the

progressive procedure of reason on the side of the conditioned by

means of episyllogisms。 For; as in the former case the cognition

(conclusio) is given only as conditioned; reason can attain to this

cognition only under the presupposition that all the members of the

series on the side of the conditions are given (totality in the series

of premisses); because only under this supposition is the judgement we

may be considering possible a priori; while on the side of the

conditioned or the inferences; only an incomplete and becoming; and

not a presupposed or given series; consequently only a potential

progression; is cogitated。 Hence; when a cognition is contemplated

as conditioned; reason is compelled to consider the series of

conditions in an ascending line as completed and given in their

totality。 But if the very same condition is considered at the same

time as the condition of other cognitions; which together constitute a

series of inferences or consequences in a descending line; reason

may preserve a perfect indifference; as to how far this progression

may extend a parte posteriori; and whether the totality of this series

is possible; because it stands in no need of such a series for the

purpose of arriving at the conclusion before it; inasmuch as this

conclusion is sufficiently guaranteed and determined on grounds a

parte priori。 It may be the case; that upon the side of the conditions

the series of premisses has a first or highest condition; or it may

not possess this; and so be a parte priori unlimited; but it must;

nevertheless; contain totality of conditions; even admitting that we

never could succeed in completely apprehending it; and the whole

series must be unconditionally true; if the conditioned; which is

considered as an inference resulting from it; is to be held as true。

This is a requirement of reason; which announces its cognition as

determined a priori and as necessary; either in itself… and in this

case it needs no grounds to rest upon… or; if it is deduced; as a

member of a series of grounds; which is itself unconditionally true。



        SECTION III。 System of Transcendental Ideas。



  We are not at present engaged with a logical dialectic; which

makes complete abstraction of the content of cognition and aims only

at unveiling the illusory appearance in the form of syllogisms。 Our

subject is transcendental dialectic; which must contain; completely

a priori; the origin of certain cognitions drawn from pure reason; and

the origin of certain deduced conceptions; the object of which

cannot be given empirically and which therefore lie beyond the

sphere of the faculty of understanding。 We have observed; from the

natural relation which the transcendental use of our cognition; in

syllogisms as well as in judgements; must have to the logical; that

there are three kinds of dialectical arguments; corresponding to the

three modes of conclusion; by which reason attains to cognitions on

principles; and that in all it is the business of reason to ascend

from the conditioned synthesis; beyond which the understanding never

proceeds; to the unconditioned which the understanding never can

reach。

  Now the most general relations which can exist in our

representations are: 1st; the relation to the subject; 2nd; the

relation to objects; either as phenomena; or as objects of thought

in general。 If we connect this subdivision with the main division; all

the relations of our representations; of which we can form either a

conception or an idea; are threefold: 1。 The relation to the

subject; 2。 The relation to the manifold of the object as a

phenomenon; 3。 The relation to all things in general。

  Now all pure conceptions have to do in general with the

synthetical unity of representations; conceptions of pure reason

(transcendental ideas); on the other hand; with the unconditional

synthetical unity of all conditions。 It follows that all

transcendental ideas arrange themselves in three classes; the first of

which contains the absolute (unconditioned) unity of the thinking

subject; the second the absolute unity of the series of the conditions

of a phenomenon; the third the absolute unity of the condition of

all objects of thought in general。

  The thinking subject is the object…matter of Psychology; the sum

total of all phenomena (the world) is the object…matter of

Cosmology; and the thing which contains the highest condition of the

possibility of all that is cogitable (the being of all beings) is

the object…matter of all Theology。 Thus pure reason presents us with

the idea of a transcendental doctrine of the soul (psychologia

rationalis); of a transcendental science of the world (cosmologia

rationalis); and finally of a transcendental doctrine of God

(theologia transcendentalis)。 Understanding cannot originate even

the outline of any of these sciences; even when connected with the

highest logical use of reason; that is; all cogitable syllogisms…

for the purpose of proceeding from one object (phenomenon) to all

others; even to the utmost limits of the empirical synthesis。 They

are; on the contrary; pure and genuine products; or problems; of

pure reason。

  What modi of the pure conceptions of reason these transcendental

ideas are will be fully exposed in the following chapter。 They

follow the guiding thread of the categories。 For pure reason never

relates immediately to objects; but to the conceptions of these

contained in the understanding。 In like manner; it will be made

manifest in the detailed explanation of these ideas… how reason;

merely through the synthetical use of the same function which it

employs in a categorical syllogism; necessarily attains to the

conception of the absolute unity of the thinking subject… how the

logical procedure in hypothetical ideas necessarily produces the

idea of the absolutely unconditioned in a series of given

conditions; and finally… how the mere form of the disjunctive

syllogism involves the highest conception of a being of all beings:

a thought which at first sight seems in the highest degree

paradoxical。

  An objective deduction; such as we were able to present in the

case of the categories; is impossible as regards these

transcendental ideas。 For they have; in truth; no relation to any

object; in experience; for the very reason that they are only ideas。

But a subjective deduction of them from the nature of our reason is

possible; and has been given in the present chapter。

  It is easy to perceive that the sole aim of pure reason is the

absolute totality of the synthesis on the side of the conditions;

and that it does not concern itself with the absolute completeness

on the Part of the conditioned。 For of the former alone does she stand

in need; in order to preposit the whole series of conditions; and thus

present them to the understanding a priori。 But if we once have a

completely (and unconditionally) given condition; there is no

further nec

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