the+critique+of+pure+reason_纯粹理性批判-第59章

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useful　in　strengthening　our　conviction；　by　uniting　in　one　point　the
momenta　of　the　arguments。
　　We　have　seen　that　everything　which　the　understanding　draws　from
itself；　without　borrowing　from　experience；　it　nevertheless　possesses
only　for　the　behoof　and　use　of　experience。　The　principles　of　the
pure　understanding；　whether　constitutive　a　priori　（as　the　mathematical
principles）；　or　merely　regulative　（as　the　dynamical）；　contain
nothing　but　the　pure　schema；　as　it　were；　of　possible　experience。　For
experience　possesses　its　unity　from　the　synthetical　unity　which　the
understanding；　originally　and　from　itself；　imparts　to　the　synthesis　of
the　imagination　in　relation　to　apperception；　and　in　a　priori
relation　to　and　agreement　with　which　phenomena；　as　data　for　a　possible
cognition；　must　stand。　But　although　these　rules　of　the　understanding
are　not　only　a　priori　true；　but　the　very　source　of　all　truth；　that　is；
of　the　accordance　of　our　cognition　with　objects；　and　on　this　ground；
that　they　contain　the　basis　of　the　possibility　of　experience；　as　the
ensemble　of　all　cognition；　it　seems　to　us　not　enough　to　propound
what　is　true…　we　desire　also　to　be　told　what　we　want　to　know。　If；
then；　we　learn　nothing　more　by　this　critical　examination　than　what
we　should　have　practised　in　the　merely　empirical　use　of　the
understanding；　without　any　such　subtle　inquiry；　the　presumption　is
that　the　advantage　we　reap　from　it　is　not　worth　the　labour　bestowed
upon　it。　It　may　certainly　be　answered　that　no　rash　curiosity　is　more
prejudicial　to　the　enlargement　of　our　knowledge　than　that　which　must
know　beforehand　the　utility　of　this　or　that　piece　of　information　which
we　seek；　before　we　have　entered　on　the　needful　investigations；　and
before　one　could　form　the　least　conception　of　its　utility；　even　though
it　were　placed　before　our　eyes。　But　there　is　one　advantage　in　such
transcendental　inquiries　which　can　be　made　prehensible　to　the
dullest　and　most　reluctant　learner…　this；　namely；　that　the
understanding　which　is　occupied　merely　with　empirical　exercise；　and
does　not　reflect　on　the　sources　of　its　own　cognition；　may　exercise　its
functions　very　well　and　very　successfully；　but　is　quite　unable　to　do
one　thing；　and　that　of　very　great　importance；　to　determine；　namely；
the　bounds　that　limit　its　employment；　and　to　know　what　lies　within
or　without　its　own　sphere。　This　purpose　can　be　obtained　only　by　such
profound　investigations　as　we　have　instituted。　But　if　it　cannot
distinguish　whether　certain　questions　lie　within　its　horizon　or　not；
it　can　never　be　sure　either　as　to　its　claims　or　possessions；　but
must　lay　its　account　with　many　humiliating　corrections；　when　it
transgresses；　as　it　unavoidably　will；　the　limits　of　its　own　territory；
and　loses　itself　in　fanciful　opinions　and　blinding　illusions。
　　That　the　understanding；　therefore；　cannot　make　of　its　a　priori
principles；　or　even　of　its　conceptions；　other　than　an　empirical　use；
is　a　proposition　which　leads　to　the　most　important　results。　A
transcendental　use　is　made　of　a　conception　in　a　fundamental
proposition　or　principle；　when　it　is　referred　to　things　in　general　and
considered　as　things　in　themselves；　an　empirical　use；　when　it　is
referred　merely　to　phenomena；　that　is；　to　objects　of　a　possible
experience。　That　the　latter　use　of　a　conception　is　the　only　admissible
one　is　evident　from　the　reasons　following。　For　every　conception　are
requisite；　firstly；　the　logical　form　of　a　conception　（of　thought）
general；　and；　secondly；　the　possibility　of　presenting　to　this　an
object　to　which　it　may　apply。　Failing　this　latter；　it　has　no　sense；
and　utterly　void　of　content；　although　it　may　contain　the　logical
function　for　constructing　a　conception　from　certain　data。　Now；
object　cannot　be　given　to　a　conception　otherwise　than　by　intuition；
and；　even　if　a　pure　intuition　antecedent　to　the　object　is　a　priori
possible；　this　pure　intuition　can　itself　obtain　objective　validity
only　from　empirical　intuition；　of　which　it　is　itself　but　the　form。　All
conceptions；　therefore；　and　with　them　all　principles；　however　high　the
degree　of　their　a　priori　possibility；　relate　to　empirical
intuitions；　that　is；　to　data　towards　a　possible　experience。　Without
this　they　possess　no　objective　validity；　but　are　mere　play　of
imagination　or　of　understanding　with　images　or　notions。　Let　us　take；
for　example；　the　conceptions　of　mathematics；　and　first　in　its　pure
intuitions。　〃Space　has　three　dimensions〃…　〃Between　two　points　there
can　be　only　one　straight　line；〃　etc。　Although　all　these　principles；
and　the　representation　of　the　object　with　which　this　science
occupies　itself；　are　generated　in　the　mind　entirely　a　priori；　they
would　nevertheless　have　no　significance　if　we　were　not　always　able
to　exhibit　their　significance　in　and　by　means　of　phenomena
（empirical　objects）。　Hence　it　is　requisite　that　an　abstract　conception
be　made　sensuous；　that　is；　that　an　object　corresponding　to　it　in
intuition　be　forthing；　otherwise　the　conception　remains；　as　we　say；
without　sense；　that　is；　without　meaning。　Mathematics　fulfils　this
requirement　by　the　construction　of　the　figure；　which　is　a　phenomenon
evident　to　the　senses。　The　same　science　finds　support　and　significance
in　number；　this　in　its　turn　finds　it　in　the　fingers；　or　in　counters；
or　in　lines　and　points。　The　conception　itself　is　always　produced　a
priori；　together　with　the　synthetical　principles　or　formulas　from　such
conceptions；　but　the　proper　employment　of　them；　and　their
application　to　objects；　can　exist　nowhere　but　in　experience；　the
possibility　of　which；　as　regards　its　form；　they　contain　a　priori。
　　That　this　is　also　the　case　with　all　of　the　categories　and　the
principles　based　upon　them　is　evident　from　the　fact　that　we　cannot
render　intelligible　the　possibility　of　an　object　corresponding　to　them
without　having　recourse　to　the　conditions　of　sensibility；
consequently；　to　the　form　of　phenomena；　to　which；　as　their　only　proper
objects；　their　use　must　therefore　be　confined；　inasmuch　as；　if　this
condition　is　removed；　all　significance；　that　is；　all　relation　to　an
object；　disappears；　and　no　example　can　be　found　to　make　it
prehensible　what　sort　of　things　we　ought　to　think　under　such
conceptions。
　　The　conception　of　quantity　cannot　be　explained　except　by　saying　that
it　is　the　determination　of　a　thing　whereby　it　can　be　cogitated　how
many　times　one　is　placed　in　it。　But　this　〃how　many　times〃　is　based
upon　successive　repetition；　consequently　upon　time　and　the　synthesis
of　the　homogeneous　therein。　Reality；　in　contradistinction　to　negation；
can　be　explained　only　by　cogitating　a　time　which　is　either　filled
therewith　or　is　void。　If　I　leave　out　the　notion　of　permanence　（which
is　existence　in　all　time）；　there　remains　in　the　conception　of
substance　nothing　but　the　logical　notion　of　subject；　a　notion　of　which
I　endeavour　to　realize　by　representing　to　myself　something　that　can
exist　only　as　a　subject。　But　not　only　am　I　perfectly　ignorant　of　any
conditions　under　which　this　logical　prerogative　can　belong　to　a　thing；
I　can　make　nothing　out　of　the　notion；　and　draw　no　inference　from　it；
because　no　object　to　which　to　apply　the　conception　is　determined；
and　we　consequently　do　not　know　whether　it　has　any　meaning　at　all。
In　like　manner；　if　I　leave　out　the　notion　of　time；　in　which
something　follows　upon　some　other　thing　in　conformity　with　a　rule；　I
can　find　nothing　in　the　pure　category；　except　that　there　is　a
something　of　such　a　sort　that　from　it　a　conclusion　may　be　drawn　as
to　the　existence　of　some　other　thing。　But　in　this　case　it　would　not
only　be　impossible　to　distinguish　between　a　cause　and　an　effect；
but；　as　this　power　to　draw　conclusions　requires　conditions　of　which
I　am　quite　ignorant；　the　conception　is　not　determined　as　to　the　mode
in　which　it　ought　to　apply　to　an　object。　The　so…called　principle：
〃Everything　that　is　contingent　has　a　cause；〃　es　with　a　gravity
and　self…assumed　authority　that　seems　to　require　no　support　from
without。　But；　I　ask；　what　is　meant　by　contingent？　The　answer　is　that
the　non…existence　of　which　is　possible。　But　I　should　like　very　well　to
know　by　what　means　this　possibility　of　non…existence　is　to　be
cognized；　if　we　do　not　represent　to　ourselves　a　successi