the critique of pure reason-第114章

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

　　The　possibility　of　things　must　therefore　be　regarded　as　derived…

except　that　of　the　thing　which　contains　in　itself　all　reality；　which

must　be　considered　to　be　primitive　and　original。　For　all　negations…

and　they　are　the　only　predicates　by　means　of　which　all　other　things

can　be　distinguished　from　the　ens　realissimum…　are　mere　limitations　of

a　greater　and　a　higher…　nay；　the　highest　reality；　and　they

consequently　presuppose　this　reality；　and　are；　as　regards　their

content；　derived　from　it。　The　manifold　nature　of　things　is　only　an

infinitely　various　mode　of　limiting　the　conception　of　the　highest

reality；　which　is　their　common　substratum；　just　as　all　figures　are

possible　only　as　different　modes　of　limiting　infinite　space。　The

object　of　the　ideal　of　reason…　an　object　existing　only　in　reason

itself…　is　also　termed　the　primal　being　（ens　originarium）；　as　having

no　existence　superior　to　him；　the　supreme　being　（ens　summum）；　and　as

being　the　condition　of　all　other　beings；　which　rank　under　it；　the

being　of　all　beings　（ens　entium）。　But　none　of　these　terms　indicate　the

objective　relation　of　an　actually　existing　object　to　other　things；　but

merely　that　of　an　idea　to　conceptions；　and　all　our　investigations　into

this　subject　still　leave　us　in　perfect　uncertainty　with　regard　to

the　existence　of　this　being。

　　A　primal　being　cannot　be　said　to　consist　of　many　other　beings　with

an　existence　which　is　derivative；　for　the　latter　presuppose　the

former；　and　therefore　cannot　be　constitutive　parts　of　it。　It　follows

that　the　ideal　of　the　primal　being　must　be　cogitated　as　simple。

　　The　deduction　of　the　possibility　of　all　other　things　from　this

primal　being　cannot；　strictly　speaking；　be　considered　as　a　limitation；

or　as　a　kind　of　division　of　its　reality；　for　this　would　be　regarding

the　primal　being　as　a　mere　aggregate…　which　has　been　shown　to　be

impossible；　although　it　was　so　represented　in　our　first　rough

sketch。　The　highest　reality　must　be　regarded　rather　as　the　ground　than

as　the　sum…total　of　the　possibility　of　all　things；　and　the　manifold

nature　of　things　be　based；　not　upon　the　limitation　of　the　primal　being

itself；　but　upon　the　complete　series　of　effects　which　flow　from　it。

And　thus　all　our　powers　of　sense；　as　well　as　all　phenomenal　reality；

phenomenal　reality；　may　be　with　propriety　regarded　as　belonging　to

this　series　of　effects；　while　they　could　not　have　formed　parts　of

the　idea；　considered　as　an　aggregate。　Pursuing　this　track；　and

hypostatizing　this　idea；　we　shall　find　ourselves　authorized　to

determine　our　notion　of　the　Supreme　Being　by　means　of　the　mere

conception　of　a　highest　reality；　as　one；　simple；　all…sufficient；

eternal；　and　so　on…　in　one　word；　to　determine　it　in　its

unconditioned　completeness　by　the　aid　of　every　possible　predicate。　The

conception　of　such　a　being　is　the　conception　of　God　in　its

transcendental　sense；　and　thus　the　ideal　of　pure　reason　is　the

object…matter　of　a　transcendental　theology。

　　But；　by　such　an　employment　of　the　transcendental　idea；　we　should

be　over　stepping　the　limits　of　its　validity　and　purpose。　For　reason

placed　it；　as　the　conception　of　all　reality；　at　the　basis　of　the

complete　determination　of　things；　without　requiring　that　this

conception　be　regarded　as　the　conception　of　an　objective　existence。

Such　an　existence　would　be　purely　fictitious；　and　the　hypostatizing　of

the　content　of　the　idea　into　an　ideal；　as　an　individual　being；　is　a

step　perfectly　unauthorized。　Nay；　more；　we　are　not　even　called　upon　to

assume　the　possibility　of　such　an　hypothesis；　as　none　of　the

deductions　drawn　from　such　an　ideal　would　affect　the　complete

determination　of　things　in　general…　for　the　sake　of　which　alone　is　the

idea　necessary。

　　It　is　not　sufficient　to　circumscribe　the　procedure　and　the　dialectic

of　reason；　we　must　also　endeavour　to　discover　the　sources　of　this

dialectic；　that　we　may　have　it　in　our　power　to　give　a　rational

explanation　of　this　illusion；　as　a　phenomenon　of　the　human　mind。　For

the　ideal；　of　which　we　are　at　present　speaking；　is　based；　not　upon

an　arbitrary；　but　upon　a　natural；　idea。　The　question　hence　arises：　How

happens　it　that　reason　regards　the　possibility　of　all　things　as

deduced　from　a　single　possibility；　that；　to　wit；　of　the　highest

reality；　and　presupposes　this　as　existing　in　an　individual　and

primal　being？

　　The　answer　is　ready；　it　is　at　once　presented　by　the　procedure　of

transcendental　analytic。　The　possibility　of　sensuous　objects　is　a

relation　of　these　objects　to　thought；　in　which　something　（the

empirical　form）　may　be　cogitated　a　priori；　while　that　which

constitutes　the　matter…　the　reality　of　the　phenomenon　（that　element

which　corresponds　to　sensation）…　must　be　given　from　without；　as

otherwise　it　could　not　even　be　cogitated　by；　nor　could　its　possibility

be　presentable　to　the　mind。　Now；　a　sensuous　object　is　completely

determined；　when　it　has　been　compared　with　all　phenomenal

predicates；　and　represented　by　means　of　these　either　positively　or

negatively。　But；　as　that　which　constitutes　the　thing　itself…　the

real　in　a　phenomenon；　must　be　given；　and　that；　in　which　the　real　of

all　phenomena　is　given；　is　experience；　one；　sole；　and　all…embracing…

the　material　of　the　possibility　of　all　sensuous　objects　must　be

presupposed　as　given　in　a　whole；　and　it　is　upon　the　limitation　of　this

whole　that　the　possibility　of　all　empirical　objects；　their　distinction

from　each　other　and　their　complete　determination；　are　based。　Now；　no

other　objects　are　presented　to　us　besides　sensuous　objects；　and

these　can　be　given　only　in　connection　with　a　possible　experience；　it

follows　that　a　thing　is　not　an　object　to　us；　unless　it　presupposes　the

whole　or　sum…total　of　empirical　reality　as　the　condition　of　its

possibility。　Now；　a　natural　illusion　leads　us　to　consider　this

principle；　which　is　valid　only　of　sensuous　objects；　as　valid　with

regard　to　things　in　general。　And　thus　we　are　induced　to　hold　the

empirical　principle　of　our　conceptions　of　the　possibility　of　things；

as　phenomena；　by　leaving　out　this　limitative　condition；　to　be　a

transcendental　principle　of　the　possibility　of　things　in　general。

　　We　proceed　afterwards　to　hypostatize　this　idea　of　the　sum…total　of

all　reality；　by　changing　the　distributive　unity　of　the　empirical

exercise　of　the　understanding　into　the　collective　unity　of　an

empirical　whole…　a　dialectical　illusion；　and　by　cogitating　this

whole　or　sum　of　experience　as　an　individual　thing；　containing　in

itself　all　empirical　reality。　This　individual　thing　or　being　is

then；　by　means　of　the　above…mentioned　transcendental　subreption；

substituted　for　our　notion　of　a　thing　which　stands　at　the　head　of

the　possibility　of　all　things；　the　real　conditions　of　whose　complete

determination　it　presents。*



　　*This　ideal　of　the　ens　realissimum…　although　merely　a　mental

representation…　is　first　objectivized；　that　is；　has　an　objective

existence　attributed　to　it；　then　hypostatized；　and　finally；　by　the

natural　progress　of　reason　to　the　completion　of　unity；　personified；　as

we　shall　show　presently。　For　the　regulative　unity　of　experience　is　not

based　upon　phenomena　themselves；　but　upon　the　connection　of　the

variety　of　phenomena　by　the　understanding　in　a　consciousness；　and　thus

the　unity　of　the　supreme　reality　and　the　complete　determinability　of

all　things；　seem　to　reside　in　a　supreme　understanding；　and；

consequently；　in　a　conscious　intelligence。



　　　SECTION　III。　Of　the　Arguments　employed　by　Speculative　Reason　in

　　　　　　　　　　　　Proof　of　the　Existence　of　a　Supreme　Being。



　　Notwithstanding　the　pressing　necessity　which　reason　feels；　to　form

some　presupposition　that　shall　serve　the　understanding　as　a　proper

basis　for　the　complete　determination　of　its　conceptions；　the

idealistic　and　factitious　nature　of　such　a　presupposition　is　too

evident　to　allow　reason　for　a　moment　to　persuade　itself　into　a

belief　of　the　objective　existence　of　a　mere　creation　o