the+critique+of+pure+reason_纯粹理性批判-第111章

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as　phenomena；　by　leaving　out　this　limitative　condition；　to　be　a
transcendental　principle　of　the　possibility　of　things　in　general。
　　We　proceed　afterwards　to　hypostatize　this　idea　of　the　sum…total　of
all　reality；　by　changing　the　distributive　unity　of　the　empirical
exercise　of　the　understanding　into　the　collective　unity　of　an
empirical　whole…　a　dialectical　illusion；　and　by　cogitating　this
whole　or　sum　of　experience　as　an　individual　thing；　containing　in
itself　all　empirical　reality。　This　individual　thing　or　being　is
then；　by　means　of　the　above…mentioned　transcendental　subreption；
substituted　for　our　notion　of　a　thing　which　stands　at　the　head　of
the　possibility　of　all　things；　the　real　conditions　of　whose　plete
determination　it　presents。*

　　*This　ideal　of　the　ens　realissimum…　although　merely　a　mental
representation…　is　first　objectivized；　that　is；　has　an　objective
existence　attributed　to　it；　then　hypostatized；　and　finally；　by　the
natural　progress　of　reason　to　the　pletion　of　unity；　personified；　as
we　shall　show　presently。　For　the　regulative　unity　of　experience　is　not
based　upon　phenomena　themselves；　but　upon　the　connection　of　the
variety　of　phenomena　by　the　understanding　in　a　consciousness；　and　thus
the　unity　of　the　supreme　reality　and　the　plete　determinability　of
all　things；　seem　to　reside　in　a　supreme　understanding；　and；
consequently；　in　a　conscious　intelligence。

　　　SECTION　III。　Of　the　Arguments　employed　by　Speculative　Reason　in
　　　　　　　　　　　　Proof　of　the　Existence　of　a　Supreme　Being。

　　Notwithstanding　the　pressing　necessity　which　reason　feels；　to　form
some　presupposition　that　shall　serve　the　understanding　as　a　proper
basis　for　the　plete　determination　of　its　conceptions；　the
idealistic　and　factitious　nature　of　such　a　presupposition　is　too
evident　to　allow　reason　for　a　moment　to　persuade　itself　into　a
belief　of　the　objective　existence　of　a　mere　creation　of　its　own
thought。　But　there　are　other　considerations　which　pel　reason　to
seek　out　some　resting　place　in　the　regress　from　the　conditioned　to　the
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
condit