the critique of pure reason-第1章

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1781

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　CRITIQUE　OF　PURE　REASON

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Immanuel　Kant

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　translated　by　J。　M。　D。　Meiklejohn







　　　　　　　　　　　　PREFACE　TO　THE　FIRST　EDITION；　1781



　　Human　reason；　in　one　sphere　of　its　cognition；　is　called　upon　to

consider　questions；　which　it　cannot　decline；　as　they　are　presented

by　its　own　nature；　but　which　it　cannot　answer；　as　they　transcend　every

faculty　of　the　mind。

　　It　falls　into　this　difficulty　without　any　fault　of　its　own。　It

begins　with　principles；　which　cannot　be　dispensed　with　in　the　field　of

experience；　and　the　truth　and　sufficiency　of　which　are；　at　the　same

time；　insured　by　experience。　With　these　principles　it　rises；　in

obedience　to　the　laws　of　its　own　nature；　to　ever　higher　and　more

remote　conditions。　But　it　quickly　discovers　that；　in　this　way；　its

labours　must　remain　ever　incomplete；　because　new　questions　never　cease

to　present　themselves；　and　thus　it　finds　itself　compelled　to　have

recourse　to　principles　which　transcend　the　region　of　experience；　while

they　are　regarded　by　common　sense　without　distrust。　It　thus　falls　into

confusion　and　contradictions；　from　which　it　conjectures　the　presence

of　latent　errors；　which；　however；　it　is　unable　to　discover；　because

the　principles　it　employs；　transcending　the　limits　of　experience；

cannot　be　tested　by　that　criterion。　The　arena　of　these　endless

contests　is　called　Metaphysic。

　　Time　was；　when　she　was　the　queen　of　all　the　sciences；　and；　if　we

take　the　will　for　the　deed；　she　certainly　deserves；　so　far　as

regards　the　high　importance　of　her　object…matter；　this　title　of

honour。　Now；　it　is　the　fashion　of　the　time　to　heap　contempt　and

scorn　upon　her；　and　the　matron　mourns；　forlorn　and　forsaken；　like

Hecuba：



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Modo　maxima　rerum；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Tot　generis；　natisque　potens。。。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Nunc　trahor　exul；　inops。*



　　*Ovid；　Metamorphoses。　＇xiii；　〃But　late　on　the　pinnacle　of　fame；

strong　in　my　many　sons。　now　exiled；　penniless。〃＇



　　At　first；　her　government；　under　the　administration　of　the

dogmatists；　was　an　absolute　despotism。　But；　as　the　legislative

continued　to　show　traces　of　the　ancient　barbaric　rule；　her　empire

gradually　broke　up；　and　intestine　wars　introduced　the　reign　of

anarchy；　while　the　sceptics；　like　nomadic　tribes；　who　hate　a　permanent

habitation　and　settled　mode　of　living；　attacked　from　time　to　time

those　who　had　organized　themselves　into　civil　communities。　But　their

number　was；　very　happily；　small；　and　thus　they　could　not　entirely

put　a　stop　to　the　exertions　of　those　who　persisted　in　raising　new

edifices；　although　on　no　settled　or　uniform　plan。　In　recent　times

the　hope　dawned　upon　us　of　seeing　those　disputes　settled；　and　the

legitimacy　of　her　claims　established　by　a　kind　of　physiology　of　the

human　understanding…　that　of　the　celebrated　Locke。　But　it　was　found

that…　although　it　was　affirmed　that　this　so…called　queen　could　not

refer　her　descent　to　any　higher　source　than　that　of　common　experience；

a　circumstance　which　necessarily　brought　suspicion　on　her　claims…　as

this　genealogy　was　incorrect；　she　persisted　in　the　advancement　of

her　claims　to　sovereignty。　Thus　metaphysics　necessarily　fell　back　into

the　antiquated　and　rotten　constitution　of　dogmatism；　and　again

became　obnoxious　to　the　contempt　from　which　efforts　had　been　made　to

save　it。　At　present；　as　all　methods；　according　to　the　general

persuasion；　have　been　tried　in　vain；　there　reigns　nought　but　weariness

and　complete　indifferentism…　the　mother　of　chaos　and　night　in　the

scientific　world；　but　at　the　same　time　the　source　of；　or　at　least

the　prelude　to；　the　re…creation　and　reinstallation　of　a　science；

when　it　has　fallen　into　confusion；　obscurity；　and　disuse　from　ill

directed　effort。

　　For　it　is　in　reality　vain　to　profess　indifference　in　regard　to

such　inquiries；　the　object　of　which　cannot　be　indifferent　to　humanity。

Besides；　these　pretended　indifferentists；　however　much　they　may　try　to

disguise　themselves　by　the　assumption　of　a　popular　style　and　by

changes　on　the　language　of　the　schools；　unavoidably　fall　into

metaphysical　declarations　and　propositions；　which　they　profess　to

regard　with　so　much　contempt。　At　the　same　time；　this　indifference；

which　has　arisen　in　the　world　of　science；　and　which　relates　to　that

kind　of　knowledge　which　we　should　wish　to　see　destroyed　the　last；　is　a

phenomenon　that　well　deserves　our　attention　and　reflection。　It　is

plainly　not　the　effect　of　the　levity；　but　of　the　matured　judgement*　of

the　age；　which　refuses　to　be　any　longer　entertained　with　illusory

knowledge；　It　is；　in　fact；　a　call　to　reason；　again　to　undertake　the

most　laborious　of　all　tasks…　that　of　self…examination…　and　to

establish　a　tribunal；　which　may　secure　it　in　its　well…grounded　claims；

while　it　pronounces　against　all　baseless　assumptions　and

pretensions；　not　in　an　arbitrary　manner；　but　according　to　its　own

eternal　and　unchangeable　laws。　This　tribunal　is　nothing　less　than

the　critical　investigation　of　pure　reason。



　　*We　very　often　hear　complaints　of　the　shallowness　of　the　present

age；　and　of　the　decay　of　profound　science。　But　I　do　not　think　that

those　which　rest　upon　a　secure　foundation；　such　as　mathematics；

physical　science；　etc。；　in　the　least　deserve　this　reproach；　but　that

they　rather　maintain　their　ancient　fame；　and　in　the　latter　case；

indeed；　far　surpass　it。　The　same　would　be　the　case　with　the　other

kinds　of　cognition；　if　their　principles　were　but　firmly　established。

In　the　absence　of　this　security；　indifference；　doubt；　and　finally；

severe　criticism　are　rather　signs　of　a　profound　habit　of　thought。

Our　age　is　the　age　of　criticism；　to　which　everything　must　be

subjected。　The　sacredness　of　religion；　and　the　authority　of

legislation；　are　by　many　regarded　as　grounds　of　exemption　from　the

examination　of　this　tribunal。　But；　if　they　on　they　are　exempted；

they　become　the　subjects　of　just　suspicion；　and　cannot　lay　claim　to

sincere　respect；　which　reason　accords　only　to　that　which　has　stood　the

test　of　a　free　and　public　examination。



　　I　do　not　mean　by　this　a　criticism　of　books　and　systems；　but　a

critical　inquiry　into　the　faculty　of　reason；　with　reference　to　the

cognitions　to　which　it　strives　to　attain　without　the　aid　of

experience；　in　other　words；　the　solution　of　the　question　regarding　the

possibility　or　impossibility　of　metaphysics；　and　the　determination

of　the　origin；　as　well　as　of　the　extent　and　limits　of　this　science。

All　this　must　be　done　on　the　basis　of　principles。

　　This　path…　the　only　one　now　remaining…　has　been　entered　upon　by

me；　and　I　flatter　myself　that　I　have；　in　this　way；　discovered　the

cause　of…　and　consequently　the　mode　of　removing…　all　the　errors

which　have　hitherto　set　reason　at　variance　with　itself；　in　the

sphere　of　non…empirical　thought。　I　have　not　returned　an　evasive　answer

to　the　questions　of　reason；　by　alleging　the　inability　and　limitation

of　the　faculties　of　the　mind；　I　have；　on　the　contrary；　examined　them

completely　in　the　light　of　principles；　and；　after　having　discovered

the　cause　of　the　doubts　and　contradictions　into　which　reason　fell；

have　solved　them　to　its　perfect　satisfaction。　It　is　true；　these

questions　have　not　been　solved　as　dogmatism；　in　its　vain　fancies　and

desires；　had　expected；　for　it　can　only　be　satisfied　by　the　exercise　of

magical　arts；　and　of　these　I　have　no　knowledge。　But　neither　do　these

come　within　the　compass　of　our　mental　powers；　and　it　was　the　duty　of

philosophy　to　destroy　the　illusions　which　had　their　origin　in

misconceptions；　whatever　darling　hopes　and　valued　expectations　may

be　ruined　by　its　explanations。　My　chief　aim　in　this　work　has　been

thoroughness；　and　I　make　bold　to　say　that　there　is　not　a　single

metaphysical　problem　that　does　not　find　its　solution；　or　at　least

the　key　to　its　solution；　here。　Pure　reason　is　a　perfect　unity；　and

therefore；　if　the　if　the　principle　presented　by　it