the critique of pure reason-第32章

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exist　because　I　accompany　every　representation　with　consciousness；　but

because　I　join　one　representation　to　another；　and　am　conscious　of

the　synthesis　of　them。　Consequently；　only　because　I　can　connect　a

variety　of　given　representations　in　one　consciousness；　is　it

possible　that　I　can　represent　to　myself　the　identity　of

consciousness　in　these　representations；　in　other　words；　the　analytical

unity　of　apperception　is　possible　only　under　the　presupposition　of　a

synthetical　unity。*　The　thought；　〃These　representations　given　in

intuition　belong　all　of　them　to　me；〃　is　accordingly　just　the　same

as；　〃I　unite　them　in　one　self…consciousness；　or　can　at　least　so

unite　them〃；　and　although　this　thought　is　not　itself　the　consciousness

of　the　synthesis　of　representations；　it　presupposes　the　possibility　of

it；　that　is　to　say；　for　the　reason　alone　that　I　can　comprehend　the

variety　of　my　representations　in　one　consciousness；　do　I　call　them

my　representations；　for　otherwise　I　must　have　as　many…coloured　and

various　a　self　as　are　the　representations　of　which　I　am　conscious。

Synthetical　unity　of　the　manifold　in　intuitions；　as　given　a　priori；　is

therefore　the　foundation　of　the　identity　of　apperception　itself；　which

antecedes　a　priori　all　determinate　thought。　But　the　conjunction　of

representations　into　a　conception　is　not　to　be　found　in　objects

themselves；　nor　can　it　be；　as　it　were；　borrowed　from　them　and　taken　up

into　the　understanding　by　perception；　but　it　is　on　the　contrary　an

operation　of　the　understanding　itself；　which　is　nothing　more　than

the　faculty　of　conjoining　a　priori　and　of　bringing　the　variety　of

given　representations　under　the　unity　of　apperception。　This

principle　is　the　highest　in　all　human　cognition。



　　*All　general　conceptions…　as　such…　depend；　for　their　existence；　on

the　analytical　unity　of　consciousness。　For　example；　when　I　think　of

red　in　general；　I　thereby　think　to　myself　a　property　which　（as　a

characteristic　mark）　can　be　discovered　somewhere；　or　can　be　united

with　other　representations；　consequently；　it　is　only　by　means　of　a

forethought　possible　synthetical　unity　that　I　can　think　to　myself

the　analytical。　A　representation　which　is　cogitated　as　common　to

different　representations；　is　regarded　as　belonging　to　such　as；

besides　this　common　representation；　contain　something　different；

consequently　it　must　be　previously　thought　in　synthetical　unity　with

other　although　only　possible　representations；　before　I　can　think　in　it

the　analytical　unity　of　consciousness　which　makes　it　a　conceptas

communis。　And　thus　the　synthetical　unity　of　apperception　is　the

highest　point　with　which　we　must　connect　every　operation　of　the

understanding；　even　the　whole　of　logic；　and　after　it　our

transcendental　philosophy；　indeed；　this　faculty　is　the　understanding

itself。



　　This　fundamental　principle　of　the　necessary　unity　of　apperception　is

indeed　an　identical；　and　therefore　analytical；　proposition；　but　it

nevertheless　explains　the　necessity　for　a　synthesis　of　the　manifold

given　in　an　intuition；　without　which　the　identity　of

self…consciousness　would　be　incogitable。　For　the　ego；　as　a　simple

representation；　presents　us　with　no　manifold　content；　only　in

intuition；　which　is　quite　different　from　the　representation　ego；　can

it　be　given　us；　and　by　means　of　conjunction　it　is　cogitated　in　one

self…consciousness。　An　understanding；　in　which　all　the　manifold　should

be　given　by　means　of　consciousness　itself；　would　be　intuitive；　our

understanding　can　only　think　and　must　look　for　its　intuition　to　sense。

I　am；　therefore；　conscious　of　my　identical　self；　in　relation　to　all

the　variety　of　representations　given　to　me　in　an　intuition；　because

I　call　all　of　them　my　representations。　In　other　words；　I　am

conscious　myself　of　a　necessary　a　priori　synthesis　of　my

representations；　which　is　called　the　original　synthetical　unity　of

apperception；　under　which　rank　all　the　representations　presented　to

me；　but　that　only　by　means　of　a　synthesis。



　　　　The　Principle　of　the　Synthetical　Unity　of　Apperception

　　　　　　　　　is　the　highest　Principle　of　all　exercise　of

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　the　Understanding。　SS　13



　　The　supreme　principle　of　the　possibility　of　all　intuition　in

relation　to　sensibility　was；　according　to　our　transcendental

aesthetic；　that　all　the　manifold　in　intuition　be　subject　to　the　formal

conditions　of　space　and　time。　The　supreme　principle　of　the　possibility

of　it　in　relation　to　the　understanding　is　that　all　the　manifold　in

it　be　subject　to　conditions　of　the　originally　synthetical　unity　or

apperception。*　To　the　former　of　these　two　principles　are　subject　all

the　various　representations　of　intuition；　in　so　far　as　they　are

given　to　us；　to　the　latter；　in　so　far　as　they　must　be　capable　of

conjunction　in　one　consciousness；　for　without　this　nothing　can　be

thought　or　cognized；　because　the　given　representations　would　not

have　in　common　the　act　Of　the　apperception　〃I　think〃　and　therefore

could　not　be　connected　in　one　self…consciousness。



　　*Space　and　time；　and　all　portions　thereof；　are　intuitions；

consequently　are；　with　a　manifold　for　their　content；　single

representations。　（See　the　Transcendental　Aesthetic。）　Consequently；

they　are　not　pure　conceptions；　by　means　of　which　the　same

consciousness　is　found　in　a　great　number　of　representations；　but；　on

the　contrary；　they　are　many　representations　contained　in　one；　the

consciousness　of　which　is；　so　to　speak；　compounded。　The　unity　of

consciousness　is　nevertheless　synthetical　and；　therefore；　primitive。

From　this　peculiar　character　of　consciousness　follow　many　important

consequences。　（See　SS　21。）



　　Understanding　is；　to　speak　generally；　the　faculty　Of　cognitions。

These　consist　in　the　determined　relation　of　given　representation　to　an

object。　But　an　object　is　that；　in　the　conception　of　which　the　manifold

in　a　given　intuition　is　united。　Now　all　union　of　representations

requires　unity　of　consciousness　in　the　synthesis　of　them。

Consequently；　it　is　the　unity　of　consciousness　alone　that

constitutes　the　possibility　of　representations　relating　to　an

object；　and　therefore　of　their　objective　validity；　and　of　their

becoming　cognitions；　and　consequently；　the　possibility　of　the

existence　of　the　understanding　itself。

　　The　first　pure　cognition　of　understanding；　then；　upon　which　is

founded　all　its　other　exercise；　and　which　is　at　the　same　time

perfectly　independent　of　all　conditions　of　mere　sensuous　intuition；　is

the　principle　of　the　original　synthetical　unity　of　apperception。

Thus　the　mere　form　of　external　sensuous　intuition；　namely；　space；

affords　us；　per　se；　no　cognition；　it　merely　contributes　the　manifold

in　a　priori　intuition　to　a　possible　cognition。　But；　in　order　to

cognize　something　in　space　（for　example；　a　line）；　I　must　draw　it；

and　thus　produce　synthetically　a　determined　conjunction　of　the　given

manifold；　so　that　the　unity　of　this　act　is　at　the　same　time　the

unity　of　consciousness　（in　the　conception　of　a　line）；　and　by　this

means　alone　is　an　object　（a　determinate　space）　cognized。　The

synthetical　unity　of　consciousness　is；　therefore；　an　objective

condition　of　all　cognition；　which　I　do　not　merely　require　in　order

to　cognize　an　object；　but　to　which　every　intuition　must　necessarily　be

subject；　in　order　to　become　an　object　for　me；　because　in　any　other

way；　and　without　this　synthesis；　the　manifold　in　intuition　could　not

be　united　in　one　consciousness。

　　This　proposition　is；　as　already　said；　itself　analytical；　although　it

constitutes　the　synthetical　unity；　the　condition　of　all　thought；　for

it　states　nothing　more　than　that　all　my　representations　in　any　given

intuition　must　be　subject　to　the　condition　which　alone　enables　me　to

connect　them；　as　my　representation　with　the　identical　self；　and　so

to　unite　them　synthetically　in　one　apperception；　by　means　of　the

general　expression；　〃I　think。〃

　　But　this　principle　is　not　to　be　regarded　as　a　principle　for　every

possible　understanding；　but　only　for　the　understanding　by　me