the+critique+of+pure+reason_纯粹理性批判-第58章

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principle　of　the　possibility　of　experience；　Consequently　of　the
cognition　of　an　object　given　in　empirical　intuition；　and　not　from　mere
conceptions。　That；　however；　the　proposition：　〃Everything　that　is
contingent　must　have　a　cause；〃　is　evident　to　every　one　merely　from
conceptions；　is　not　to　be　denied。　But　in　this　case　the　conception　of
the　contingent　is　cogitated　as　involving　not　the　category　of
modality　（as　that　the　non…existence　of　which　can　be　conceive　but
that　of　relation　（as　that　which　can　exist　only　as　the　consequence　of
something　else）；　and　so　it　is　really　an　identical　proposition：　〃That
which　can　exist　only　as　a　consequence；　has　a　cause。〃　In　fact；　when
we　have　to　give　examples　of　contingent　existence；　we　always　refer　to
changes；　and　not　merely　to　the　possibility　of　conceiving　the
opposite。*　But　change　is　an　event；　which；　as　such；　is　possible　only
through　a　cause；　and　considered　per　se　its　non…existence　is
therefore　possible；　and　we　bee　cognizant　of　its　contingency　from
the　fact　that　it　can　exist　only　as　the　effect　of　a　cause。　Hence；　if
a　thing　is　assumed　to　be　contingent；　it　is　an　analytical　proposition
to　say；　it　has　a　cause。

　　*We　can　easily　conceive　the　non…existence　of　matter；　but　the
ancients　did　not　thence　infer　its　contingency。　But　even　the
alternation　of　the　existence　and　non…existence　of　a　given　state　in　a
thing；　in　which　all　change　consists；　by　no　means　proves　the
contingency　of　that　state…　the　ground　of　proof　being　the　reality　of
its　opposite。　For　example；　a　body　is　in　a　state　of　rest　after
motion；　but　we　cannot　infer　the　contingency　of　the　motion　from　the
fact　that　the　former　is　the　opposite　of　the　latter。　For　this
opposite　is　merely　a　logical　and　not　a　real　opposite　to　the　other。
If　we　wish　to　demonstrate　the　contingency　of　the　motion；　what　we　ought
to　prove　is　that；　instead　of　the　motion　which　took　place　in　the
preceding　point　of　time；　it　was　possible　for　the　body　to　have　been
then　in　rest；　not；　that　it　is　afterwards　in　rest；　for　in　this　case；
both　opposites　are　perfectly　consistent　with　each　other。

　　But　it　is　still　more　remarkable　that；　to　understand　the
possibility　of　things　according　to　the　categories　and　thus　to
demonstrate　the　objective　reality　of　the　latter；　we　require　not　merely
intuitions；　but　external　intuitions。　If；　for　example；　we　take　the　pure
conceptions　of　relation；　we　find　that　（1）　for　the　purpose　of
presenting　to　the　conception　of　substance　something　permanent　in
intuition　corresponding　thereto　and　thus　of　demonstrating　the
objective　reality　of　this　conception；　we　require　an　intuition　（of
matter）　in　space；　because　space　alone　is　permanent　and　determines
things　as　such；　while　time；　and　with　it　all　that　is　in　the　internal
sense；　is　in　a　state　of　continual　flow；　（2）　in　order　to　represent
change　as　the　intuition　corresponding　to　the　conception　of
causality；　we　require　the　representation　of　motion　as　change　in　space；
in　fact；　it　is　through　it　alone　that　changes；　the　possibility　of　which
no　pure　understanding　can　perceive；　are　capable　of　being　intuited。
Change　is　the　connection　of　determinations　contradictorily　opposed
to　each　other　in　the　existence　of　one　and　the　same　thing。　Now；　how
it　is　possible　that　out　of　a　given　state　one　quite　opposite　to　it　in
the　same　thing　should　follow；　reason　without　an　example　can　not　only
not　conceive；　but　cannot　even　make　intelligible　without　intuition；　and
this　intuition　is　the　motion　of　a　point　in　space；　the　existence　of
which　in　different　spaces　（as　a　consequence　of　opposite
determinations）　alone　makes　the　intuition　of　change　possible。　For；
in　order　to　make　even　internal　change　cognitable；　we　require　to
represent　time；　as　the　form　of　the　internal　sense；　figuratively　by　a
line；　and　the　internal　change　by　the　drawing　of　that　line　（motion）；
and　consequently　are　obliged　to　employ　external　intuition　to　be　able
to　represent　the　successive　existence　of　ourselves　in　different
states。　The　proper　ground　of　this　fact　is　that　all　change　to　be
perceived　as　change　presupposes　something　permanent　in　intuition；
while　in　the　internal　sense　no　permanent　intuition　is　to　be　found。
Lastly；　the　objective　possibility　of　the　category　of　munity
cannot　be　conceived　by　mere　reason；　and　consequently　its　objective
reality　cannot　be　demonstrated　without　an　intuition；　and　that　external
in　space。　For　how　can　we　conceive　the　possibility　of　munity；　that
is；　when　several　substances　exist；　that　some　effect　on　the　existence
of　the　one　follows　from　the　existence　of　the　other；　and
reciprocally；　and　therefore　that；　because　something　exists　in　the
latter；　something　else　must　exist　in　the　former；　which　could　not　be
understood　from　its　own　existence　alone？　For　this　is　the　very
essence　of　munity…　which　is　inconceivable　as　a　property　of　things
which　are　perfectly　isolated。　Hence；　Leibnitz；　in　attributing　to　the
substances　of　the　world…　as　cogitated　by　the　understanding　alone…　a
munity；　required　the　mediating　aid　of　a　divinity；　for；　from　their
existence；　such　a　property　seemed　to　him　with　justice　inconceivable。
But　we　can　very　easily　conceive　the　possibility　of　munity　（of
substances　as　phenomena）　if　we　represent　them　to　ourselves　as　in
space；　consequently　in　external　intuition。　For　external　intuition
contains　in　itself　a　priori　formal　external　relations；　as　the
conditions　of　the　possibility　of　the　real　relations　of　action　and
reaction；　and　therefore　of　the　possibility　of　munity。　With　the　same
ease　can　it　be　demonstrated；　that　the　possibility　of　things　as
quantities；　and　consequently　the　objective　reality　of　the　category
of　quantity；　can　be　grounded　only　in　external　intuition；　and　that　by
its　means　alone　is　the　notion　of　quantity　appropriated　by　the　internal
sense。　But　I　must　avoid　prolixity；　and　leave　the　task　of
illustrating　this　by　examples　to　the　reader's　own　reflection。
　　The　above　remarks　are　of　the　greatest　importance；　not　only　for　the
confirmation　of　our　previous　confutation　of　idealism；　but　still　more
when　the　subject　of　self…cognition　by　mere　internal　consciousness
and　the　determination　of　our　own　nature　without　the　aid　of　external
empirical　intuitions　is　under　discussion；　for　the　indication　of　the
grounds　of　the　possibility　of　such　a　cognition。
　　The　result　of　the　whole　of　this　part　of　the　analytic　of　principles
is；　therefore：　〃All　principles　of　the　pure　understanding　are　nothing
more　than　a　priori　principles　of　the　possibility　of　experience；　and　to
experience　alone　do　all　a　priori　synthetical　propositions　apply　and
relate〃；　indeed；　their　possibility　itself　rests　entirely　on　this
relation。
　　　　CHAPTER　III　Of　the　Ground　of　the　Division　of　all　Objects
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　into　Phenomena　and　Noumena。

　　We　have　now　not　only　traversed　the　region　of　the　pure
understanding　and　carefully　surveyed　every　part　of　it；　but　we　have
also　measured　it；　and　assigned　to　everything　therein　its　proper　place。
But　this　land　is　an　island；　and　enclosed　by　nature　herself　within
unchangeable　limits。　It　is　the　land　of　truth　（an　attractive　word）；
surrounded　by　a　wide　and　stormy　ocean；　the　region　of　illusion；　where
many　a　fog…bank；　many　an　iceberg；　seems　to　the　mariner；　on　his
voyage　of　discovery；　a　new　country；　and；　while　constantly　deluding　him
with　vain　hopes；　engages　him　in　dangerous　adventures；　from　which　he
never　can　desist；　and　which　yet　he　never　can　bring　to　a　termination。
But　before　venturing　upon　this　sea；　in　order　to　explore　it　in　its
whole　extent；　and　to　arrive　at　a　certainty　whether　anything　is　to　be
discovered　there；　it　will　not　be　without　advantage　if　we　cast　our　eyes
upon　the　chart　of　the　land　that　we　are　about　to　leave；　and　to　ask
ourselves；　firstly；　whether　we　cannot　rest　perfectly　contented　with
what　it　contains；　or　whether　we　must　not　of　necessity　be　contented
with　it；　if　we　can　find　nowhere　else　a　solid　foundation　to　build　upon；
and；　secondly；　by　what　title　we　possess　this　land　itself；　and　how　we
hold　it　secure　against　all　hostile　claims？　Although；　in　the　course
of　our　analytic；　we　have　already　given　sufficient　answers　to　these
questions；　yet　a　summary　recapitulation　of　these　solutions　may　be
useful　in　strengthening　our　conviction；　by　uniting　in　one　point　the
momenta　of　the　arguments。