the science of right-第7章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



object；　but　I　have　the　thing　practically　in　my　power　and　at　my

disposal；　which　is　a　conception　of　possession　realized　by　the

understanding　and　independent　of　relations　of　space；　and　it　is　mine；

because　my　will；　in　determining　itself　to　any　particular　use　of　it；　is

not　in　conflict　with　the　law　of　external　freedom。　Now　it　is　just　in

abstraction　from　physical　possession　of　the　object　of　my　free…will

in　the　sphere　of　sense；　that　the　practical　reason　wills　that　a

rational　possession　of　it　shall　be　thought；　according　to

intellectual　conceptions　which　are　not　empirical；　but　contain　a　priori

the　conditions　of　rational　possession。　Hence　it　is　in　this　fact；

that　we　found　the　ground　of　the　validity　of　such　a　rational　conception

of　possession　possessio　noumenon）　as　a　principle　of　a　universally

valid　legislation。　For　such　a　legislation　is　implied　and　contained

in　the　expression；　〃This　external　object　is　mine；〃　because　an

obligation　is　thereby　imposed　upon　all　others　in　respect　of　it；　who

would　otherwise　not　have　been　obliged　to　abstain　from　the　use　of

this　object。

　　The　mode；　then；　of　having　something　external　to　myself　as　mine；

consists　in　a　specially　juridical　connection　of　the　will　of　the

subject　with　that　object；　independently　of　the　empirical　relations

to　it　in　space　and　in　time；　and　in　accordance　with　the　conception　of　a

rational　possession。　A　particular　spot　on　the　earth　is　not

externally　mine　because　I　occupy　it　with　my　body；　for　the　question

here　discussed　refers　only　to　my　external　freedom；　and　consequently　it

affects　only　the　possession　of　myself；　which　is　not　a　thing　external

to　me；　and　therefore　only　involves　an　internal　right。　But　if　I

continue　to　be　in　possession　of　the　spot；　although　I　have　taken　myself

away　from　it　and　gone　to　another　place；　only　under　that　condition　is

my　external　right　concerned　in　connection　with　it。　And　to　make　the

continuous　possession　of　this　spot　by　my　person　a　condition　of

having　it　as　mine；　must　either　be　to　assert　that　it　is　not　possible　at

all　to　have　anything　external　as　one's　own；　which　is　contrary　to　the

postulate　in　SS　2；　or　to　require；　in　order　that　this　external

possession　may　be　possible；　that　I　shall　be　in　two　places　at　the

same　time。　But　this　amounts　to　saying　that　I　must　be　in　a　place　and

also　not　in　it；　which　is　contradictory　and　absurd。

　　This　position　may　be　applied　to　the　case　in　which　I　have　accepted

a　promise；　for　my　having　and　possession　in　respect　of　what　has　been

promised　become　established　on　the　ground　of　external　right。　This

right　is　not　to　be　annulled　by　the　fact　that　the　promiser　having

said　at　one　time；　〃This　thing　shall　be　yours；〃　again　at　a　subsequent

time　says；　〃My　will　now　is　that　the　thing　shall　not　be　yours。〃　In　such

relations　of　rational　right；　the　conditions　hold　just　the　same　as　if

the　promiser　had；　without　any　interval　of　time　between　them；　made

the　two　declarations　of　his　will；　〃This　shall　be　yours；〃　and　also

〃This　shall　not　be　yours〃；　which　manifestly　contradicts　itself。

　　The　same　thing　holds；　in　like　manner；　of　the　conception　of　the

juridical　possession　of　a　person　as　belonging　to　the　Having　of　a

subject；　whether　it　be　a　wife；　a　child；　or　a　servant。　The　relations　of

right　involved　in　a　household；　and　the　reciprocal　possession　of　all

its　members；　are　not　annulled　by　the　capability　of　separating　from

each　other　in　space；　because　it　is　by　juridical　relations　that　they

are　connected；　and　the　external　mine　and　thine；　as　in　the　former

cases；　rests　entirely　upon　the　assumption　of　the　possibility　of　a

purely　rational　possession；　without　the　accompaniment　of　physical

detention　or　holding　of　the　object。

　　Reason　is　forced　to　a　critique　of　its　juridically　practical　function

in　special　reference　to　the　conception　of　the　external　mine　and　thine；

by　the　antinomy　of　the　propositions　enunciated　regarding　the

possibility　of　such　a　form　of　possession。　For　these　give　rise　to　an

inevitable　dialectic；　in　which　a　thesis　and　an　antithesis　set　up　equal

claims　to　the　validity　of　two　conflicting　conditions。　Reason　is　thus

compelled；　in　its　practical　function　in　relation　to　right…　as　it　was

in　its　theoretical　function…　to　make　a　distinction　between

possession　as　a　phenomenal　appearance　presented　to　the　senses；　and

that　possession　which　is　rational　and　thinkable　only　by　the

understanding。

　　Thesis。…　The　thesis；　in　this　case；　is：　〃It　is　possible　to　have

something　external　as　mine；　although　I　am　not　in　possession　of　it。〃

　　Antithesis。…　The　antithesis　is：　〃It　is　not　possible　to　have　anything

external　as　mine；　if　I　am　not　in　possession　of　it。〃

　　Solution。…　The　solution　is：　〃Both　Propositions　are　true〃；　the　former

when　I　mean　empirical　possession　（possessio　phaenomenon）；　the　latter

when　I　understand　by　the　same　term；　a　purely　rational　possession

（possessio　noumenon）。

　　But　the　possibility　of　a　rational　possession；　and　consequently　of　an

external　mine　and　thine；　cannot　be　comprehended　by　direct　insight；　but

must　be　deduced　from　the　practical　reason。　And　in　this　relation　it

is　specially　noteworthy　that　the　practical　reason　without

intuitional　perceptions；　and　even　without　requiring　such　an　element

a　priori；　can　extend　its　range　by　the　mere　elimination　of　empirical

conditions；　as　justified　by　the　law　of　freedom；　and　can　thus　establish

synthetical　propositions　a　priori。　The　proof　of　this　in　the

practical　connection；　as　will　be　shown　afterwards；　can　be　adduced　in

an　analytical　manner。



　　　　　8。　To　Have　Anything　External　as　One's　Own　is　only　Possible

　　　　　　　　　in　a　Juridical　or　Civil　State　of　Society　under　the

　　　　　　　　　　　　Regulation　of　a　Public　Legislative　Power。



　　If；　by　word　or　deed；　I　declare　my　will　that　some　external　thing

shall　be　mine；　I　make　a　declaration　that　every　other　person　is　obliged

to　abstain　from　the　use　of　this　object　of　my　exercise　of　will；　and

this　imposes　an　obligation　which　no　one　would　be　under；　without　such　a

juridical　act　on　my　part。　But　the　assumption　of　this　act　at　the　same

time　involves　the　admission　that　I　am　obliged　reciprocally　to

observe　a　similar　abstention　towards　every　other　in　respect　of　what　is

externally　theirs；　for　the　obligation　in　question　arises　from　a

universal　rule　regulating　the　external　juridical　relations。　Hence　I　am

not　obliged　to　let　alone　what　another　person　declares　to　be　externally

his；　unless　every　other　person　likewise　secures　me　by　a　guarantee　that

he　will　act　in　relation　to　what　is　mine；　upon　the　same　principle。　This

guarantee　of　reciprocal　and　mutual　abstention　from　what　belongs　to

others　does　not　require　a　special　juridical　act　for　its　establishment；

but　is　already　involved　in　the　conception　of　an　external　obligation　of

right；　on　account　of　the　universality　and　consequently　the　reciprocity

of　the　obligatoriness　arising　from　a　universal　Rule。　Now　a　single

will；　in　relation　to　an　external　and　consequently　contingent

possession；　cannot　serve　as　a　compulsory　law　for　all；　because　that

would　be　to　do　violence　to　the　freedom　which　is　in　accordance　with

universal　laws。　Therefore　it　is　only　a　will　that　binds　every　one；

and　as　such　a　common；　collective；　and　authoritative　will；　that　can

furnish　a　guarantee　of　security　to　all。　But　the　state　of　men　under　a

universal；　external；　and　public　legislation；　conjoined　with

authority　and　power；　is　called　the　civil　state。　There　can　therefore　be

an　external　mine　and　thine　only　in　the　civil　state　of　society。

　　Consequence。…　It　follows；　as　a　corollary；　that；　if　it　is　juridically

possible　to　have　an　external　object　as　one's　own；　the　individual

subject　of　possession　must　be　allowed　to　compel　or　constrain　every

person　with　whom　a　dispute　as　to　the　mine　or　thine　of　such　a

possession　may　arise；　to　enter　along　with　himself　into　the　relations

of　a　civil　constitution。



　　　　9。　There　May；　However；　Be　an　External　Mine　and　Thine　Found　as

　　　　　　a　Fact　in　the　State　of　Nature；　but　it　is　only　Provisory。



　　Natural　right　in　the　state　of　a　civil　constitution　means　the