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第81章

the critique of pure reason-第81章

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merely the relation to the self…consciousness of the subject; as the

form of thought。 In the former premiss we speak of things which cannot

be cogitated otherwise than as subjects。 In the second; we do not

speak of things; but of thought all objects being abstracted); in

which the Ego is always the subject of consciousness。 Hence the

conclusion cannot be; 〃I cannot exist otherwise than as subject〃;

but only 〃I can; in cogitating my existence; employ my Ego only as the

subject of the judgement。〃 But this is an identical proposition; and

throws no light on the mode of my existence。



  That this famous argument is a mere paralogism; will be plain to any

one who will consider the general remark which precedes our exposition

of the principles of the pure understanding; and the section on

noumena。 For it was there proved that the conception of a thing; which

can exist per se… only as a subject and never as a predicate;

possesses no objective reality; that is to say; we can never know

whether there exists any object to correspond to the conception;

consequently; the conception is nothing more than a conception; and

from it we derive no proper knowledge。 If this conception is to

indicate by the term substance; an object that can be given; if it

is to become a cognition; we must have at the foundation of the

cognition a permanent intuition; as the indispensable condition of its

objective reality。 For through intuition alone can an object be given。

But in internal intuition there is nothing permanent; for the Ego is

but the consciousness of my thought。 If then; we appeal merely to

thought; we cannot discover the necessary condition of the application

of the conception of substance… that is; of a subject existing per se…

to the subject as a thinking being。 And thus the conception of the

simple nature of substance; which is connected with the objective

reality of this conception; is shown to be also invalid; and to be; in

fact; nothing more than the logical qualitative unity of

self…consciousness in thought; whilst we remain perfectly ignorant

whether the subject is composite or not。



       Refutation of the Argument of Mendelssohn for the

          Substantiality or Permanence of the Soul。



  This acute philosopher easily perceived the insufficiency of the

common argument which attempts to prove that the soul… it being

granted that it is a simple being… cannot perish by dissolution or

decomposition; he saw it is not impossible for it to cease to be by

extinction; or disappearance。 He endeavoured to prove in his Phaedo;

that the soul cannot be annihilated; by showing that a simple being

cannot cease to exist。 Inasmuch as; be said; a simple existence cannot

diminish; nor gradually lose portions of its being; and thus be by

degrees reduced to nothing (for it possesses no parts; and therefore

no multiplicity); between the moment in which it is; and the moment in

which it is not; no time can be discovered… which is impossible。 But

this philosopher did not consider that; granting the soul to possess

this simple nature; which contains no parts external to each other and

consequently no extensive quantity; we cannot refuse to it any less

than to any other being; intensive quantity; that is; a degree of

reality in regard to all its faculties; nay; to all that constitutes

its existence。 But this degree of reality can become less and less

through an infinite series of smaller degrees。 It follows;

therefore; that this supposed substance… this thing; the permanence of

which is not assured in any other way; may; if not by decomposition;

by gradual loss (remissio) of its powers (consequently by

elanguescence; if I may employ this expression); be changed into

nothing。 For consciousness itself has always a degree; which may be

lessened。* Consequently the faculty of being conscious may be

diminished; and so with all other faculties。 The permanence of the

soul; therefore; as an object of the internal sense; remains

undemonstrated; nay; even indemonstrable。 Its permanence in life is

evident; per se; inasmuch as the thinking being (as man) is to itself;

at the same time; an object of the external senses。 But this does

not authorize the rational psychologist to affirm; from mere

conceptions; its permanence beyond life。*'2'



  *Clearness is not; as logicians maintain; the consciousness of a

representation。 For a certain degree of consciousness; which may

not; however; be sufficient for recollection; is to be met with in

many dim representations。 For without any consciousness at all; we

should not be able to recognize any difference in the obscure

representations we connect; as we really can do with many conceptions;

such as those of right and justice; and those of the musician; who

strikes at once several notes in improvising a piece of music。 But a

representation is clear; in which our consciousness is sufficient

for the consciousness of the difference of this representation from

others。 If we are only conscious that there is a difference; but are

not conscious of the difference… that is; what the difference is…

the representation must be termed obscure。 There is; consequently;

an infinite series of degrees of consciousness down to its entire

disappearance。

  *'2' There are some who think they have done enough to establish a

new possibility in the mode of the existence of souls; when they

have shown that there is no contradiction in their hypotheses on

this subject。 Such are those who affirm the possibility of thought… of

which they have no other knowledge than what they derive from its

use in connecting empirical intuitions presented in this our human

life… after this life bas ceased。 But it is very easy to embarrass

them by the introduction of counter…possibilities; which rest upon

quite as good a foundation。 Such; for example; is the possibility of

the division of a simple substance into several substances; and

conversely; of the coalition of several into one simple substance。

For; although divisibility presupposes composition; it does not

necessarily require a composition of substances; but only of the

degrees (of the several faculties) of one and the same substance。

Now we can cogitate all the powers and faculties of the soul… even

that of consciousness… as diminished by one half; the substance

still remaining。 In the same way we can represent to ourselves without

contradiction; this obliterated half as preserved; not in the soul;

but without it; and we can believe that; as in this case every。

thing that is real in the soul; and has a degree… consequently its

entire existence… has been halved; a particular substance would

arise out of the soul。 For the multiplicity; which has been divided;

formerly existed; but not as a multiplicity of substances; but of

every reality as the quantum of existence in it; and the unity of

substance was merely a mode of existence; which by this division alone

has been transformed into a plurality of subsistence。 In the same

manner several simple substances might coalesce into one; without

anything being lost except the plurality of subsistence; inasmuch as

the one substance would contain the degree of reality of all the

former substances。 Perhaps; indeed; the simple substances; which

appear under the form of matter; might (not indeed by a mechanical

or chemical influence upon each other; but by an unknown influence; of

which the former would be but the phenomenal appearance); by means

of such a dynamical division of the parent…souls; as intensive

quantities; produce other souls; while the former repaired the loss

thus sustained with new matter of the same sort。 I am far from

allowing any value to such chimeras; and the principles of our

analytic have clearly proved that no other than an empirical use of

the categories… that of substance; for example… is possible。 But if

the rationalist is bold enough to construct; on the mere authority

of the faculty of thought… wi

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