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the critique of pure reason-第22部分

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              Existence … Non…existence

              Necessity … Contingence



  This; then; is a catalogue of all the originally pure conceptions of

the synthesis which the understanding contains a priori; and these

conceptions alone entitle it to be called a pure understanding;

inasmuch as only by them it can render the manifold of intuition

conceivable; in other words; think an object of intuition。 This

division is made systematically from a common principle; namely the

faculty of judgement (which is just the same as the power of thought);

and has not arisen rhapsodically from a search at haphazard after pure

conceptions; respecting the full number of which we never could be

certain; inasmuch as we employ induction alone in our search;

without considering that in this way we can never understand wherefore

precisely these conceptions; and none others; abide in the pure

understanding。 It was a design worthy of an acute thinker like

Aristotle; to search for these fundamental conceptions。 Destitute;

however; of any guiding principle; he picked them up just as they

occurred to him; and at first hunted out ten; which he called

categories (predicaments)。 Afterwards be believed that he had

discovered five others; which were added under the name of post

predicaments。 But his catalogue still remained defective。 Besides;

there are to be found among them some of the modes of pure sensibility

(quando; ubi; situs; also prius; simul); and likewise an empirical

conception (motus)… which can by no means belong to this

genealogical register of the pure understanding。 Moreover; there are

deduced conceptions (actio; passio) enumerated among the original

conceptions; and; of the latter; some are entirely wanting。

  With regard to these; it is to be remarked; that the categories;

as the true primitive conceptions of the pure understanding; have also

their pure deduced conceptions; which; in a complete system of

transcendental philosophy; must by no means be passed over; though

in a merely critical essay we must be contented with the simple

mention of the fact。

  Let it be allowed me to call these pure; but deduced conceptions

of the understanding; the predicables of the pure understanding; in

contradistinction to predicaments。 If we are in possession of the

original and primitive; the deduced and subsidiary conceptions can

easily be added; and the genealogical tree of the understanding

completely delineated。 As my present aim is not to set forth a

complete system; but merely the principles of one; I reserve this task

for another time。 It may be easily executed by any one who will

refer to the ontological manuals; and subordinate to the category of

causality; for example; the predicables of force; action; passion;

to that of community; those of presence and resistance; to the

categories of modality; those of origination; extinction; change;

and so with the rest。 The categories combined with the modes of pure

sensibility; or with one another; afford a great number of deduced a

priori conceptions; a complete enumeration of which would be a

useful and not unpleasant; but in this place a perfectly

dispensable; occupation。

  I purposely omit the definitions of the categories in this treatise。

I shall analyse these conceptions only so far as is necessary for

the doctrine of method; which is to form a part of this critique。 In a

system of pure reason; definitions of them would be with justice

demanded of me; but to give them here would only bide from our view

the main aim of our investigation; at the same time raising doubts and

objections; the consideration of which; without injustice to our

main purpose; may be very well postponed till another opportunity。

Meanwhile; it ought to be sufficiently clear; from the little we

have already said on this subject; that the formation of a complete

vocabulary of pure conceptions; accompanied by all the requisite

explanations; is not only a possible; but an easy undertaking。 The

compartments already exist; it is only necessary to fill them up;

and a systematic topic like the present; indicates with perfect

precision the proper place to which each conception belongs; while

it readily points out any that have not yet been filled up。



                           SS 7



  Our table of the categories suggests considerations of some

importance; which may perhaps have significant results in regard to

the scientific form of all rational cognitions。 For; that this table

is useful in the theoretical part of philosophy; nay; indispensable

for the sketching of the complete plan of a science; so far as that

science rests upon conceptions a priori; and for dividing it

mathematically; according to fixed principles; is most manifest from

the fact that it contains all the elementary conceptions of the

understanding; nay; even the form of a system of these in the

understanding itself; and consequently indicates all the momenta;

and also the internal arrangement of a projected speculative

science; as I have elsewhere shown。* Here follow some of these

observations。



  *In the Metaphysical Principles of Natural Science。



  I。 This table; which contains four classes of conceptions of the

understanding; may; in the first instance; be divided into two

classes; the first of which relates to objects of intuition… pure as

well as empirical; the second; to the existence of these objects;

either in relation to one another; or to the understanding。

  The former of these classes of categories I would entitle the

mathematical; and the latter the dynamical categories。 The former;

as we see; has no correlates; these are only to be found in the second

class。 This difference must have a ground in the nature of the human

understanding。

  II。 The number of the categories in each class is always the same;

namely; three… a fact which also demands some consideration; because

in all other cases division a priori through conceptions is

necessarily dichotomy。 It is to be added; that the third category in

each triad always arises from the combination of the second with the

first。

  Thus totality is nothing else but plurality contemplated as unity;

limitation is merely reality conjoined with negation; community is the

causality of a substance; reciprocally determining; and determined

by other substances; and finally; necessity is nothing but

existence; which is given through the possibility itself。 Let it not

be supposed; however; that the third category is merely a deduced; and

not a primitive conception of the pure understanding。 For the

conjunction of the first and second; in order to produce the third

conception; requires a particular function of the understanding; which

is by no means identical with those which are exercised in the first

and second。 Thus; the conception of a number (which belongs to the

category of totality) is not always possible; where the conceptions of

multitude and unity exist (for example; in the representation of the

infinite)。 Or; if I conjoin the conception of a cause with that of a

substance; it does not follow that the conception of influence; that

is; how one substance can be the cause of something in another

substance; will be understood from that。 Thus it is evident that a

particular act of the understanding is here necessary; and so in the

other instances。

  III。 With respect to one category; namely; that of community;

which is found in the third class; it is not so easy as with the

others to detect its accordance with the form of the disjunctive

judgement which corresponds to it in the table of the logical

functions。

  In order to assure ourselves of this accordance; we must observe

that in every disjunctive judgement; the sphere of the judgement (that

is; the complex of all that is contained in it) is represented as a

whole divided into parts; and; since one part cannot be contained in

the other; they are cogitated as co…ordinated with; not subordinated

to each other; so that they do not determine each other

unilaterally; as in a linear series; but reciprocally; as in an

aggregate… (if one member of the division is posited; all the rest are

excluded; and conversely)。

  Now a like connection is cogitated in a whole of things; for one

thing is not subordinated; as effect; to another as cause of its

existence; but; on the contrary; is co…ordinated contemporaneously and

reciprocally; as a cause in relation to the determination of the

others (for example; in a body… the parts of which mutually attract

and repel each other)。 And this is an entirely different kind of

connection from that which we find in the mere relation of the cause

to the effect (the principle to the consequence); for in such a

connection the consequence does not in its turn determine the

principle; and therefore does not constitute; with the latter; a

whole… just as the Creator does not with the world make up a whole。

The process of understanding by which it represents to itself the

sphere of a divided conception; is employed also when we think of a

thing as divisible; and in the same manner as the members of the

division in the former exclude one another; and yet are connected in

one sphere; so the understanding represents to itself the parts of the

latter; as having… each of them… an existence (as substances);

independently of the others; and yet as united in one whole。



                          SS 8



  In the transcendental philosophy of the ancients there exists one

more leading division; which contains pure conceptions of the

understanding; and which; although not numbered among the

categories; ought; according to them; as conceptions a priori; to be

valid of objects。 But in this case they would augment the number of

the categories; which cannot be。 These are set forth in the

proposition; so renowned among the schoolmen… 〃Quodlibet ens est UNUM;

VERUM; BONUM。〃 Now; though the inferences 

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