the critique of pure reason-第113章

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　　*Thus　this　principle　declares　everything　to　possess　a　relation　to

a　common　correlate…　the　sum…total　of　possibility；　which；　if　discovered

to　exist　in　the　idea　of　one　individual　thing；　would　establish　the

affinity　of　all　possible　things；　from　the　identity　of　the　ground　of

their　complete　determination。　The　determinability　of　every

conception　is　subordinate　to　the　universality　（Allgemeinheit；

universalitas）　of　the　principle　of　excluded　middle；　the

determination　of　a　thing　to　the　totality　（Allheit；　universitas）　of　all

possible　predicates。



　　The　proposition；　Everything　which　exists　is　completely　determined；

means　not　only　that　one　of　every　pair　of　given　contradictory

attributes；　but　that　one　of　all　possible　attributes；　is　always

predicable　of　the　thing；　in　it　the　predicates　are　not　merely

compared　logically　with　each　other；　but　the　thing　itself　is

transcendentally　compared　with　the　sum…total　of　all　possible

predicates。　The　proposition　is　equivalent　to　saying：　〃To　attain　to　a

complete　knowledge　of　a　thing；　it　is　necessary　to　possess　a

knowledge　of　everything　that　is　possible；　and　to　determine　it

thereby　in　a　positive　or　negative　manner。〃　The　conception　of

complete　determination　is　consequently　a　conception　which　cannot　be

presented　in　its　totality　in　concreto；　and　is　therefore　based　upon

an　idea；　which　has　its　seat　in　the　reason…　the　faculty　which

prescribes　to　the　understanding　the　laws　of　its　harmonious　and　perfect

exercise　relates

　　Now；　although　this　idea　of　the　sum…total　of　all　possibility；　in　so

far　as　it　forms　the　condition　of　the　complete　determination　of

everything；　is　itself　undetermined　in　relation　to　the　predicates　which

may　constitute　this　sum…total；　and　we　cogitate　in　it　merely　the

sum…total　of　all　possible　predicates…　we　nevertheless　find；　upon

closer　examination；　that　this　idea；　as　a　primitive　conception　of　the

mind；　excludes　a　large　number　of　predicates…　those　deduced　and　those

irreconcilable　with　others；　and　that　it　is　evolved　as　a　conception

completely　determined　a　priori。　Thus　it　becomes　the　conception　of　an

individual　object；　which　is　completely　determined　by　and　through　the

mere　idea；　and　must　consequently　be　termed　an　ideal　of　pure　reason。

　　When　we　consider　all　possible　predicates；　not　merely　logically；

but　transcendentally；　that　is　to　say；　with　reference　to　the　content

which　may　be　cogitated　as　existing　in　them　a　priori；　we　shall　find

that　some　indicate　a　being；　others　merely　a　non…being。　The　logical

negation　expressed　in　the　word　not　does　not　properly　belong　to　a

conception；　but　only　to　the　relation　of　one　conception　to　another　in　a

judgement；　and　is　consequently　quite　insufficient　to　present　to　the

mind　the　content　of　a　conception。　The　expression　not　mortal　does　not

indicate　that　a　non…being　is　cogitated　in　the　object；　it　does　not

concern　the　content　at　all。　A　transcendental　negation；　on　the

contrary；　indicates　non…being　in　itself；　and　is　opposed　to

transcendental　affirmation；　the　conception　of　which　of　itself

expresses　a　being。　Hence　this　affirmation　indicates　a　reality；　because

in　and　through　it　objects　are　considered　to　be　something…　to　be

things；　while　the　opposite　negation；　on　the　other　band；　indicates　a

mere　want；　or　privation；　or　absence；　and；　where　such　negations　alone

are　attached　to　a　representation；　the　non…existence　of　anything

corresponding　to　the　representation。

　　Now　a　negation　cannot　be　cogitated　as　determined；　without　cogitating

at　the　same　time　the　opposite　affirmation。　The　man　born　blind　has

not　the　least　notion　of　darkness；　because　he　has　none　of　light；　the

vagabond　knows　nothing　of　poverty；　because　he　has　never　known　what

it　is　to　be　in　comfort；*　the　ignorant　man　has　no　conception　of　his

ignorance；　because　he　has　no　conception　of　knowledge。　All

conceptions　of　negatives　are　accordingly　derived　or　deduced

conceptions；　and　realities　contain　the　data；　and；　so　to　speak；　the

material　or　transcendental　content　of　the　possibility　and　complete

determination　of　all　things。



　　*The　investigations　and　calculations　of　astronomers　have　taught　us

much　that　is　wonderful；　but　the　most　important　lesson　we　have　received

from　them　is　the　discovery　of　the　abyss　of　our　ignorance　in　relation

to　the　universe…　an　ignorance　the　magnitude　of　which　reason；　without

the　information　thus　derived；　could　never　have　conceived。　This

discovery　of　our　deficiencies　must　produce　a　great　change　in　the

determination　of　the　aims　of　human　reason。



　　If；　therefore；　a　transcendental　substratum　lies　at　the　foundation　of

the　complete　determination　of　things…　a　substratum　which　is　to　form

the　fund　from　which　all　possible　predicates　of　things　are　to　be

supplied；　this　substratum　cannot　be　anything　else　than　the　idea　of　a

sum…total　of　reality　（omnitudo　realitatis）。　In　this　view；　negations

are　nothing　but　limitations…　a　term　which　could　not；　with　propriety；

be　applied　to　them；　if　the　unlimited　（the　all）　did　not　form　the　true

basis　of　our　conception。

　　This　conception　of　a　sum…total　of　reality　is　the　conception　of　a

thing　in　itself；　regarded　as　completely　determined；　and　the　conception

of　an　ens　realissimum　is　the　conception　of　an　individual　being；

inasmuch　as　it　is　determined　by　that　predicate　of　all　possible

contradictory　predicates；　which　indicates　and　belongs　to　being。　It　is；

therefore；　a　transcendental　ideal　which　forms　the　basis　of　the

complete　determination　of　everything　that　exists；　and　is　the　highest

material　condition　of　its　possibility…　a　condition　on　which　must

rest　the　cogitation　of　all　objects　with　respect　to　their　content。　Nay；

more；　this　ideal　is　the　only　proper　ideal　of　which　the　human　mind　is

capable；　because　in　this　case　alone　a　general　conception　of　a　thing　is

completely　determined　by　and　through　itself；　and　cognized　as　the

representation　of　an　individuum。

　　The　logical　determination　of　a　conception　is　based　upon　a

disjunctive　syllogism；　the　major　of　which　contains　the　logical

division　of　the　extent　of　a　general　conception；　the　minor　limits

this　extent　to　a　certain　part；　while　the　conclusion　determines　the

conception　by　this　part。　The　general　conception　of　a　reality　cannot　be

divided　a　priori；　because；　without　the　aid　of　experience；　we　cannot

know　any　determinate　kinds　of　reality；　standing　under　the　former　as

the　genus。　The　transcendental　principle　of　the　complete

determination　of　all　things　is　therefore　merely　the　representation

of　the　sum…total　of　all　reality；　it　is　not　a　conception　which　is　the

genus　of　all　predicates　under　itself；　but　one　which　comprehends　them

all　within　itself。　The　complete　determination　of　a　thing　is

consequently　based　upon　the　limitation　of　this　total　of　reality；　so

much　being　predicated　of　the　thing；　while　all　that　remains　over　is

excluded…　a　procedure　which　is　in　exact　agreement　with　that　of　the

disjunctive　syllogism　and　the　determination　of　the　objects　in　the

conclusion　by　one　of　the　members　of　the　division。　It　follows　that

reason；　in　laying　the　transcendental　ideal　at　the　foundation　of　its

determination　of　all　possible　things；　takes　a　course　in　exact

analogy　with　that　which　it　pursues　in　disjunctive　syllogisms…　a

proposition　which　formed　the　basis　of　the　systematic　division　of　all

transcendental　ideas；　according　to　which　they　are　produced　in　complete

parallelism　with　the　three　modes　of　syllogistic　reasoning　employed

by　the　human　mind。

　　It　is　self…evident　that　reason；　in　cogitating　the　necessary　complete

determination　of　things；　does　not　presuppose　the　existence　of　a

being　corresponding　to　its　ideal；　but　merely　the　idea　of　the　ideal…

for　the　purpose　of　deducing　from　the　unconditional　totality　of

complete　determination；　The　ideal　is　therefore　the　prototype　of　all

things；　which；　as　defective　copies　（ectypa）；　receive　from　it　the

material　of　their　possibility；　and　approximate　to　it　more　or　less；

though　it　is　impossible　that　they　can　ever　attain　to　its　perfection。

　　The　possibility　of　things　must　therefore　be　regarded　as　de