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object as a thing in itself; but in the subject to which it appears…

which form of intuition nevertheless belongs really and necessarily to

the phenomenal object。

  Time and space are; therefore; two sources of knowledge; from which;

a priori; various synthetical cognitions can be drawn。 Of this we find

a striking example in the cognitions of space and its relations; which

form the foundation of pure mathematics。 They are the two pure forms

of all intuitions; and thereby make synthetical propositions a

priori possible。 But these sources of knowledge being merely

conditions of our sensibility; do therefore; and as such; strictly

determine their own range and purpose; in that they do not and

cannot present objects as things in themselves; but are applicable

to them solely in so far as they are considered as sensuous phenomena。

The sphere of phenomena is the only sphere of their validity; and if

we venture out of this; no further objective use can be made of

them。 For the rest; this formal reality of time and space leaves the

validity of our empirical knowledge unshaken; for our certainty in

that respect is equally firm; whether these forms necessarily inhere

in the things themselves; or only in our intuitions of them。 On the

other hand; those who maintain the absolute reality of time and space;

whether as essentially subsisting; or only inhering; as modifications;

in things; must find themselves at utter variance with the

principles of experience itself。 For; if they decide for the first

view; and make space and time into substances; this being the side

taken by mathematical natural philosophers; they must admit two

self…subsisting nonentities; infinite and eternal; which exist (yet

without there being anything real) for the purpose of containing in

themselves everything that is real。 If they adopt the second view of

inherence; which is preferred by some metaphysical natural

philosophers; and regard space and time as relations (contiguity in

space or succession in time); abstracted from experience; though

represented confusedly in this state of separation; they find

themselves in that case necessitated to deny the validity of

mathematical doctrines a priori in reference to real things (for

example; in space)… at all events their apodeictic certainty。 For such

certainty cannot be found in an a posteriori proposition; and the

conceptions a priori of space and time are; according to this opinion;

mere creations of the imagination; having their source really in

experience; inasmuch as; out of relations abstracted from

experience; imagination has made up something which contains;

indeed; general statements of these relations; yet of which no

application can be made without the restrictions attached thereto by

nature。 The former of these parties gains this advantage; that they

keep the sphere of phenomena free for mathematical science。 On the

other hand; these very conditions (space and time) embarrass them

greatly; when the understanding endeavours to pass the limits of

that sphere。 The latter has; indeed; this advantage; that the

representations of space and time do not come in their way when they

wish to judge of objects; not as phenomena; but merely in their

relation to the understanding。 Devoid; however; of a true and

objectively valid a priori intuition; they can neither furnish any

basis for the possibility of mathematical cognitions a priori; nor

bring the propositions of experience into necessary accordance with

those of mathematics。 In our theory of the true nature of these two

original forms of the sensibility; both difficulties are surmounted。

  In conclusion; that transcendental aesthetic cannot contain any more

than these two elements… space and time; is sufficiently obvious

from the fact that all other conceptions appertaining to

sensibility; even that of motion; which unites in itself both

elements; presuppose something empirical。 Motion; for example;

presupposes the perception of something movable。 But space

considered in itself contains nothing movable; consequently motion

must be something which is found in space only through experience…

in other words; an empirical datum。 In like manner; transcendental

aesthetic cannot number the conception of change among its data a

priori; for time itself does not change; but only something which is

in time。 To acquire the conception of change; therefore; the

perception of some existing object and of the succession of its

determinations; in one word; experience; is necessary。



      SS 9 General Remarks on Transcendental Aesthetic。



  I。 In order to prevent any misunderstanding; it will be requisite;

in the first place; to recapitulate; as clearly as possible; what

our opinion is with respect to the fundamental nature of our

sensuous cognition in general。 We have intended; then; to say that all

our intuition is nothing but the representation of phenomena; that the

things which we intuite; are not in themselves the same as our

representations of them in intuition; nor are their relations in

themselves so constituted as they appear to us; and that if we take

away the subject; or even only the subjective constitution of our

senses in general; then not only the nature and relations of objects

in space and time; but even space and time themselves disappear; and

that these; as phenomena; cannot exist in themselves; but only in

us。 What may be the nature of objects considered as things in

themselves and without reference to the receptivity of our sensibility

is quite unknown to us。 We know nothing more than our mode of

perceiving them; which is peculiar to us; and which; though not of

necessity pertaining to every animated being; is so to the whole human

race。 With this alone we have to do。 Space and time are the pure forms

thereof; sensation the matter。 The former alone can we cognize a

priori; that is; antecedent to all actual perception; and for this

reason such cognition is called pure intuition。 The latter is that

in our cognition which is called cognition a posteriori; that is;

empirical intuition。 The former appertain absolutely and necessarily

to our sensibility; of whatsoever kind our sensations may be; the

latter may be of very diversified character。 Supposing that we

should carry our empirical intuition even to the very highest degree

of clearness; we should not thereby advance one step nearer to a

knowledge of the constitution of objects as things in themselves。

For we could only; at best; arrive at a complete cognition of our

own mode of intuition; that is of our sensibility; and this always

under the conditions originally attaching to the subject; namely;

the conditions of space and time; while the question: 〃What are

objects considered as things in themselves?〃 remains unanswerable even

after the most thorough examination of the phenomenal world。

  To say; then; that all our sensibility is nothing but the confused

representation of things containing exclusively that which belongs

to them as things in themselves; and this under an accumulation of

characteristic marks and partial representations which we cannot

distinguish in consciousness; is a falsification of the conception

of sensibility and phenomenization; which renders our whole doctrine

thereof empty and useless。 The difference between a confused and a

clear representation is merely logical and has nothing to do with

content。 No doubt the conception of right; as employed by a sound

understanding; contains all that the most subtle investigation could

unfold from it; although; in the ordinary practical use of the word;

we are not conscious of the manifold representations comprised in

the conception。 But we cannot for this reason assert that the ordinary

conception is a sensuous one; containing a mere phenomenon; for

right cannot appear as a phenomenon; but the conception of it lies

in the understanding; and represents a property (the moral property)

of actions; which belongs to them in themselves。 On the other hand;

the representation in intuition of a body contains nothing which could

belong to an object considered as a thing in itself; but merely the

phenomenon or appearance of something; and the mode in which we are

affected by that appearance; and this receptivity of our faculty of

cognition is called sensibility; and remains toto caelo different from

the cognition of an object in itself; even though we should examine

the content of the phenomenon to the very bottom。

  It must be admitted that the Leibnitz…Wolfian philosophy has

assigned an entirely erroneous point of view to all investigations

into the nature and origin of our cognitions; inasmuch as it regards

the distinction between the sensuous and the intellectual as merely

logical; whereas it is plainly transcendental; and concerns not merely

the clearness or obscurity; but the content and origin of both。 For

the faculty of sensibility not only does not present us with an

indistinct and confused cognition of objects as things in

themselves; but; in fact; gives us no knowledge of these at all。 On

the contrary; so soon as we abstract in thought our own subjective

nature; the object represented; with the properties ascribed to it

by sensuous intuition; entirely disappears; because it was only this

subjective nature that determined the form of the object as a

phenomenon。

  In phenomena; we commonly; indeed; distinguish that which

essentially belongs to the intuition of them; and is valid for the

sensuous faculty of every human being; from that which belongs to

the same intuition accidentally; as valid not for the sensuous faculty

in general; but for a particular state or organization of this or that

sense。 Accordingly; we are accustomed to say that the former is a

cognition which represents the object itself; whilst the latter

presents only a particular appearance or phenomenon thereof。 This

distinction; however; is only empiric

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