the critique of practical reason-第43章

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d　spare　them　the　example　of　so…called　noble　（supermeritorious）　actions；　in　which　our　sentimental　books　so　much　abound；　and　would　refer　all　to　duty　merely；　and　to　the　worth　that　a　man　can　and　must　give　himself　in　his　own　eyes　by　the　consciousness　of　not　having　transgressed　it；　since　whatever　runs　up　into　empty　wishes　and　longings　after　inaccessible　perfection　produces　mere　heroes　of　romance；　who；　while　they　pique　themselves　on　their　feeling　for　transcendent　greatness；　release　themselves　in　return　from　the　observance　of　common　and　every…day　obligations；　which　then　seem　to　them　petty　and　insignificant。*

　　*It　is　quite　proper　to　extol　actions　that　display　a　great；　unselfish；　sympathizing　mind　or　humanity。　But；　in　this　case；　we　must　fix　attention　not　so　much　on　the　elevation　of　soul；　which　is　very　fleeting　and　transitory；　as　on　the　subjection　of　the　heart　to　duty；　from　which　a　more　enduring　impression　may　be　expected；　because　this　implies　principle　（whereas　the　former　only　implies　ebullitions）。　One　need　only　reflect　a　little　and　he　will　always　find　a　debt　that　he　has　by　some　means　incurred　towards　the　human　race　（even　if　it　were　only　this；　by　the　inequality　of　men　in　the　civil　constitution；　enjoys　advantages　on　account　of　which　others　must　be　the　more　in　want）；　which　will　prevent　the　thought　of　duty　from　being　repressed　by　the　self…complacent　imagination　of　merit。

　　But　if　it　is　asked：　〃What；　then；　is　really　pure　morality；　by　which　as　a　touchstone　we　must　test　the　moral　significance　of　every　action；〃　then　I　must　admit　that　it　is　only　philosophers　that　can　make　the　decision　of　this　question　doubtful；　for　to　common　sense　it　has　been　decided　long　ago；　not　indeed　by　abstract　general　formulae；　but　by　habitual　use；　like　the　distinction　between　the　right　and　left　hand。　We　will　then　point　out　the　criterion　of　pure　virtue　in　an　example　first；　and；　imagining　that　it　is　set　before　a　boy；　of　say　ten　years　old；　for　his　judgement；　we　will　see　whether　he　would　necessarily　judge　so　of　himself　without　being　guided　by　his　teacher。　Tell　him　the　history　of　an　honest　man　whom　men　want　to　persuade　to　join　the　calumniators　of　an　innocent　and　powerless　person　（say　Anne　Boleyn；　accused　by　Henry　VIII　of　England）。　He　is　offered　advantages；　great　gifts；　or　high　rank；　he　rejects　them。　This　will　excite　mere　approbation　and　applause　in　the　mind　of　the　hearer。　Now　begins　the　threatening　of　loss。　Amongst　these　traducers　are　his　best　friends；　who　now　renounce　his　friendship；　near　kinsfolk；　who　threaten　to　disinherit　him　（he　being　without　fortune）；　powerful　persons；　who　can　persecute　and　harass　him　in　all　places　and　circumstances；　a　prince；　who　threatens　him　with　loss　of　freedom；　yea；　loss　of　life。　Then　to　fill　the　measure　of　suffering；　and　that　he　may　feel　the　pain　that　only　the　morally　good　heart　can　feel　very　deeply；　let　us　conceive　his　family　threatened　with　extreme　distress　and　want；　entreating　him　to　yield；　conceive　himself；　though　upright；　yet　with　feelings　not　hard　or　insensible　either　to　compassion　or　to　his　own　distress；　conceive　him；　I　say；　at　the　moment　when　he　wishes　that　he　had　never　lived　to　see　the　day　that　exposed　him　to　such　unutterable　anguish；　yet　remaining　true　to　his　uprightness　of　purpose；　without　wavering　or　even　doubting；　then　will　my　youthful　hearer　be　raised　gradually　from　mere　approval　to　admiration；　from　that　to　amazement；　and　finally　to　the　greatest　veneration；　and　a　lively　wish　that　be　himself　could　be　such　a　man　（though　certainly　not　in　such　circumstances）。　Yet　virtue　is　here　worth　so　much　only　because　it　costs　so　much；　not　because　it　brings　any　profit。　All　the　admiration；　and　even　the　endeavour　to　resemble　this　character；　rest　wholly　on　the　purity　of　the　moral　principle；　which　can　only　be　strikingly　shown　by　removing　from　the　springs　of　action　everything　that　men　may　regard　as　part　of　happiness。　Morality；　then；　must　have　the　more　power　over　the　human　heart　the　more　purely　it　is　exhibited。　Whence　it　follows　that；　if　the　law　of　morality　and　the　image　of　holiness　and　virtue　are　to　exercise　any　influence　at　all　on　our　souls；　they　can　do　so　only　so　far　as　they　are　laid　to　heart　in　their　purity　as　motives；　unmixed　with　any　view　to　prosperity；　for　it　is　in　suffering　that　they　display　themselves　most　nobly。　Now　that　whose　removal　strengthens　the　effect　of　a　moving　force　must　have　been　a　hindrance；　consequently　every　admixture　of　motives　taken　from　our　own　happiness　is　a　hindrance　to　the　influence　of　the　moral　law　on　the　heart。　I　affirm　further　that　even　in　that　admired　action；　if　the　motive　from　which　it　was　done　was　a　high　regard　for　duty；　then　it　is　just　this　respect　for　the　law　that　has　the　greatest　influence　on　the　mind　of　the　spectator；　not　any　pretension　to　a　supposed　inward　greatness　of　mind　or　noble　meritorious　sentiments；　consequently　duty；　not　merit；　must　have　not　only　the　most　definite；　but；　when　it　is　represented　in　the　true　light　of　its　inviolability；　the　most　penetrating；　influence　on　the　mind。　　　It　is　more　necessary　than　ever　to　direct　attention　to　this　method　in　our　times；　when　men　hope　to　produce　more　effect　on　the　mind　with　soft；　tender　feelings；　or　high…flown；　puffing…up　pretensions；　which　rather　wither　the　heart　than　strengthen　it；　than　by　a　plain　and　earnest　representation　of　duty；　which　is　more　suited　to　human　imperfection　and　to　progress　in　goodness。　To　set　before　children；　as　a　pattern；　actions　that　are　called　noble；　magnanimous；　meritorious；　with　the　notion　of　captivating　them　by　infusing　enthusiasm　for　such　actions；　is　to　defeat　our　end。　For　as　they　are　still　so　backward　in　the　observance　of　the　commonest　duty；　and　even　in　the　correct　estimation　of　it；　this　means　simply　to　make　them　fantastical　romancers　betimes。　But；　even　with　the　instructed　and　experienced　part　of　mankind；　this　supposed　spring　has；　if　not　an　injurious；　at　least　no　genuine；　moral　effect　on　the　heart；　which；　however；　is　what　it　was　desired　to　produce。　　　All　feelings；　especially　those　that　are　to　produce　unwonted　exertions；　must　accomplish　their　effect　at　the　moment　they　are　at　their　height　and　before　the　calm　down；　otherwise　they　effect　nothing；　for　as　there　was　nothing　to　strengthen　the　heart；　but　only　to　excite　it；　it　naturally　returns　to　its　normal　moderate　tone　and；　thus；　falls　back　into　its　previous　languor。　Principles　must　be　built　on　conceptions；　on　any　other　basis　there　can　only　be　paroxysms；　which　can　give　the　person　no　moral　worth；　nay；　not　even　confidence　in　himself；　without　which　the　highest　good　in　man；　consciousness　of　the　morality　of　his　mind　and　character；　cannot　exist。　Now　if　these　conceptions　are　to　become　subjectively　practical；　we　must　not　rest　satisfied　with　admiring　the　objective　law　of　morality；　and　esteeming　it　highly　in　reference　to　humanity；　but　we　must　consider　the　conception　of　it　in　relation　to　man　as　an　individual；　and　then　this　law　appears　in　a　form　indeed　that　is　highly　deserving　of　respect；　but　not　so　pleasant　as　if　it　belonged　to　the　element　to　which　he　is　naturally　accustomed；　but　on　the　contrary　as　often　compelling　him　to　quit　this　element；　not　without　self…denial；　and　to　betake　himself　to　a　higher；　in　which　he　can　only　maintain　himself　with　trouble　and　with　unceasing　apprehension　of　a　relapse。　In　a　word；　the　moral　law　demands　obedience；　from　duty　not　from　predilection；　which　cannot　and　ought　not　to　be　presupposed　at　all。　　　Let　us　now　see；　in　an　example；　whether　the　conception　of　an　action；　as　a　noble　and　magnanimous　one；　has　more　subjective　moving　power　than　if　the　action　is　conceived　merely　as　duty　in　relation　to　the　solemn　law　of　morality。　The　action　by　which　a　man　endeavours　at　the　greatest　peril　of　life　to　rescue　people　from　shipwreck；　at　last　losing　his　life　in　the　attempt；　is　reckoned　on　one　side　as　duty；　but　on　the　other　and　for　the　most　part　as　a　meritorious　action；　but　our　esteem　for　it　is　much　weakened　by　the　notion　of　duty　to　himself　which　seems　in　this　case　to　be　somewhat　infringed。　More　decisive　is　the　magnanimous　sacrifice　of　life　for　the　safety　of　one's　country；　and　yet　there　still　remains　some　scruple　whether　it　is　a　perfect　duty　to　devote　one's　self　to　this　purpose　spontaneously　and　unbidden；　and　the　action　has　not　in　itself　the　full　force　of　a　pattern　and　impulse　to　imitation。　But　if　an　indispensa