the+critique+of+practical+reason-第35部分

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esteem　on　the　one　hand　and　disgust　on　the　other；　and　so；　by　the　mere
habit　of　looking　on　such　actions　as　deserving　approval　or　blame；　a
good　foundation　would　be　laid　for　uprightness　in　the　future　course
of　life。　Only　I　wish　they　would　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　mon　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…placent　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　mon　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　passion　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
monest　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　acplish　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　bee　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　pelling　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　indispensable　duty　be　in　question；　the
transgression　of　which　violates　the　moral　law　itself；　and　without
regard　to　the　welfare　of　mankind；　and　as　it　were　tramples　on　its
holiness　（such　as　are　usually　called　duties　to　God；　because　in　Him
we　conceive　the　ideal　of　holiness　in　substance）；　then　we　give　our　most
perfect　esteem　to　the　pursuit　of　it　at　the　sacrifice　of　all　that　can
have　any　value　for　the　dearest　inclinations；　and　we　find　our　soul
strengthened　and　elevated　by　such　an　example；　when　we　convince
ourselves　by　contemplation　of　it　that　human　nature　is　capable　of　so
great　an　elevation　above　every　motive　that　nature　can　oppose　to　it。
Juvenal　describes　such　an　example　in　a　climax　which　makes　the　reader
feel　vividly　the　force　of　the　spring　that　is　contained　in　the　pure　law
of　duty；　as　duty：

　　　　Esto　bonus　miles；　tutor　bonus；　arbiter　idem
　　　　Integer；　ambiguae　si　quando　citabere　testis
　　　　Incertaeque　rei；　Phalaris　licet　imperet　ut　sis
　　　　Falsus；　et　admoto　dictet　periuria　tauro；
　　　　Summum　crede　nefas　animam　praeferre　pudori；
　　　　Et　propter　vitam　vivendi　perdere　causas。*

　　*＇Juvenal；　Satirae；　〃Be　you　a　good　soldier；　a　faithful　tutor；　an
uncorrupted　umpire　also；　if　you　are　summoned　as　a　witness　in　a
doubtful　and　uncertain　thing；　though　Phalaris　should　mand　that
you　should　be　false；　and　should　dictate　perjuries　with　the　bull
brought　to　you；　believe　it　the　highest　impiety　to　prefer　life　to
reputation；　and　for　the　sake　of　life；　to　lose　the　causes　of　living。〃＇

　　When　we　can　bring　any　flattering　thought　of　merit　into　our　action；
then　the　motive　is　already　somewhat　alloyed　with　self…love　and　has
therefore　some　assistance　from　the　side　of　the　sensibility。　But　to
postpone