the+critique+of+pure+reason_纯粹理性批判-第128章

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new　paths　of　which　the　understanding　is　ignorant；　while　it　never
conflicts　with　the　laws　of　its　exercise　in　the　sphere　of　experience。
　　But　reason　cannot　cogitate　this　systematic　unity；　without　at　the
same　time　cogitating　an　object　of　the　idea…　an　object　that　cannot　be
presented　in　any　experience；　which　contains　no　concrete　example　of　a
plete　systematic　unity。　This　being　（ens　rationis　ratiocinatae）　is
therefore　a　mere　idea　and　is　not　assumed　to　be　a　thing　which　is　real
absolutely　and　in　itself。　On　the　contrary；　it　forms　merely　the
problematical　foundation　of　the　connection　which　the　mind　introduces
among　the　phenomena　of　the　sensuous　world。　We　look　upon　this
connection；　in　the　light　of　the　above…mentioned　idea；　as　if　it　drew
its　origin　from　the　supposed　being　which　corresponds　to　the　idea。
And　yet　all　we　aim　at　is　the　possession　of　this　idea　as　a　secure
foundation　for　the　systematic　unity　of　experience…　a　unity
indispensable　to　reason；　advantageous　to　the　understanding；　and
promotive　of　the　interests　of　empirical　cognition。
　　We　mistake　the　true　meaning　of　this　idea　when　we　regard　it　as　an
enouncement；　or　even　as　a　hypothetical　declaration　of　the　existence　of
a　real　thing；　which　we　are　to　regard　as　the　origin　or　ground　of　a
systematic　constitution　of　the　universe。　On　the　contrary；　it　is　left
pletely　undetermined　what　the　nature　or　properties　of　this
so…called　ground　may　be。　The　idea　is　merely　to　be　adopted　as　a　point
of　view；　from　which　this　unity；　so　essential　to　reason　and　so
beneficial　to　the　understanding；　may　be　regarded　as　radiating。　In
one　word；　this　transcendental　thing　is　merely　the　schema　of　a
regulative　principle；　by　means　of　which　Reason；　so　far　as　in　her　lies；
extends　the　dominion　of　systematic　unity　over　the　whole　sphere　of
experience。
　　The　first　object　of　an　idea　of　this　kind　is　the　ego；　considered
merely　as　a　thinking　nature　or　soul。　If　I　wish　to　investigate　the
properties　of　a　thinking　being；　I　must　interrogate　experience。　But　I
find　that　I　can　apply　none　of　the　categories　to　this　object；　the
schema　of　these　categories；　which　is　the　condition　of　their
application；　being　given　only　in　sensuous　intuition。　But　I　cannot　thus
attain　to　the　cognition　of　a　systematic　unity　of　all　the　phenomena
of　the　internal　sense。　Instead；　therefore；　of　an　empirical
conception　of　what　the　soul　really　is；　reason　takes　the　conception
of　the　empirical　unity　of　all　thought；　and；　by　cogitating　this　unity
as　unconditioned　and　primitive；　constructs　the　rational　conception
or　idea　of　a　simple　substance　which　is　in　itself　unchangeable；
possessing　personal　identity；　and　in　connection　with　other　real　things
external　to　it；　in　one　word；　it　constructs　the　idea　of　a　simple
self…subsistent　intelligence。　But　the　real　aim　of　reason　in　this
procedure　is　the　attainment　of　principles　of　systematic　unity　for
the　explanation　of　the　phenomena　of　the　soul。　That　is；　reason
desires　to　be　able　to　represent　all　the　determinations　of　the　internal
sense　as　existing　in　one　subject；　all　powers　as　deduced　from　one
fundamental　power；　all　changes　as　mere　varieties　in　the　condition　of　a
being　which　is　permanent　and　always　the　same；　and　all　phenomena　in
space　as　entirely　different　in　their　nature　from　the　procedure　of
thought。　Essential　simplicity　（with　the　other　attributes　predicated　of
the　ego）　is　regarded　as　the　mere　schema　of　this　regulative
principle；　it　is　not　assumed　that　it　is　the　actual　ground　of　the
properties　of　the　soul。　For　these　properties　may　rest　upon　quite
different　grounds；　of　which　we　are　pletely　ignorant；　just　as　the
above　predicates　could　not　give　us　any　knowledge　of　the　soul　as　it
is　in　itself；　even　if　we　regarded　them　as　valid　in　respect　of　it；
inasmuch　as　they　constitute　a　mere　idea；　which　cannot　be　represented
in　concreto。　Nothing　but　good　can　result　from　a　psychological　idea
of　this　kind；　if　we　only　take　proper　care　not　to　consider　it　as　more
than　an　idea；　that　is；　if　we　regard　it　as　valid　merely　in　relation
to　the　employment　of　reason；　in　the　sphere　of　the　phenomena　of　the
soul。　Under　the　guidance　of　this　idea；　or　principle；　no　empirical　laws
of　corporeal　phenomena　are　called　in　to　explain　that　which　is　a
phenomenon　of　the　internal　sense　alone；　no　windy　hypotheses　of　the
generation；　annihilation；　and　palingenesis　of　souls　are　admitted。　Thus
the　consideration　of　this　object　of　the　internal　sense　is　kept　pure；
and　unmixed　with　heterogeneous　elements；　while　the　investigation　of
reason　aims　at　reducing　all　the　grounds　of　explanation　employed　in
this　sphere　of　knowledge　to　a　single　principle。　All　this　is　best
effected；　nay；　cannot　be　effected　otherwise　than　by　means　of　such　a
schema；　which　requires　us　to　regard　this　ideal　thing　as　an　actual
existence。　The　psychological　idea　is；　therefore；　meaningless　and
inapplicable；　except　as　the　schema　of　a　regulative　conception。　For；　if
I　ask　whether　the　soul　is　not　really　of　a　spiritual　nature…　it　is　a
question　which　has　no　meaning。　From　such　a　conception　has　been
abstracted；　not　merely　all　corporeal　nature；　but　all　nature；　that
is；　all　the　predicates　of　a　possible　experience；　and　consequently；　all
the　conditions　which　enable　us　to　cogitate　an　object　to　this
conception　have　disappeared。　But；　if　these　conditions　are　absent；　it
is　evident　that　the　conception　is　meaningless。
　　The　second　regulative　idea　of　speculative　reason　is　the　conception
of　the　universe。　For　nature　is　properly　the　only　object　presented　to
us；　in　regard　to　which　reason　requires　regulative　principles。　Nature
is　twofold…　thinking　and　corporeal　nature。　To　cogitate　the　latter　in
regard　to　its　internal　possibility；　that　is；　to　determine　the
application　of　the　categories　to　it；　no　idea　is　required…　no
representation　which　transcends　experience。　In　this　sphere；　therefore；
an　idea　is　impossible；　sensuous　intuition　being　our　only　guide；　while；
in　the　sphere　of　psychology；　we　require　the　fundamental　idea　（I）；
which　contains　a　priori　a　certain　form　of　thought　namely；　the　unity　of
the　ego。　Pure　reason　has；　therefore；　nothing　left　but　nature　in
general；　and　the　pleteness　of　conditions　in　nature　in　accordance
with　some　principle。　The　absolute　totality　of　the　series　of　these
conditions　is　an　idea；　which　can　never　be　fully　realized　in　the
empirical　exercise　of　reason；　while　it　is　serviceable　as　a　rule　for
the　procedure　of　reason　in　relation　to　that　totality。　It　requires
us；　in　the　explanation　of　given　phenomena　（in　the　regress　or　ascent　in
the　series）；　to　proceed　as　if　the　series　were　infinite　in　itself；　that
is；　were　prolonged　in　indefinitum；；　while　on　the　other　hand；　where
reason　is　regarded　as　itself　the　determining　cause　（in　the　region　of
freedom）；　we　are　required　to　proceed　as　if　we　had　not　before　us　an
object　of　sense；　but　of　the　pure　understanding。　In　this　latter　case；
the　conditions　do　not　exist　in　the　series　of　phenomena；　but　may　be
placed　quite　out　of　and　beyond　it；　and　the　series　of　conditions　may　be
regarded　as　if　it　had　an　absolute　beginning　from　an　intelligible
cause。　All　this　proves　that　the　cosmological　ideas　are　nothing　but
regulative　principles；　and　not　constitutive；　and　that　their　aim　is　not
to　realize　an　actual　totality　in　such　series。　The　full　discussion　of
this　subject　will　be　found　in　its　proper　place　in　the　chapter　on　the
antinomy　of　pure　reason。
　　The　third　idea　of　pure　reason；　containing　the　hypothesis　of　a
being　which　is　valid　merely　as　a　relative　hypothesis；　is　that　of　the
one　and　all…sufficient　cause　of　all　cosmological　series；　in　other
words；　the　idea　of　God。　We　have　not　the　slightest　ground　absolutely　to
admit　the　existence　of　an　object　corresponding　to　this　idea；　for
what　can　empower　or　authorize　us　to　affirm　the　existence　of　a　being　of
the　highest　perfection…　a　being　whose　existence　is　absolutely
necessary…　merely　because　we　possess　the　conception　of　such　a　being？
The　answer　is：　It　is　the　existence　of　the　world　which　renders　this
hypothesis　necessary。　But　this　answer　makes　it　perfectly　evident
that　the　idea　of　this　being；　like　all　other　speculative　ideas；　is
essentially　nothing　more　than　a　demand　upon　reason　that　it　shall
regulate　the　connection　which　it　and　its　subordinate　faculties
introduce　into　the　phenom