the critique of pure reason-第84章

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　　If　we　admit　the　existence　of　some　one　thing；　whatever　it　may　be；

we　must　also　admit　that　there　is　something　which　exists　necessarily。

For　what　is　contingent　exists　only　under　the　condition　of　some　other

thing；　which　is　its　cause；　and　from　this　we　must　go　on　to　conclude　the

existence　of　a　cause　which　is　not　contingent；　and　which　consequently

exists　necessarily　and　unconditionally。　Such　is　the　argument　by

which　reason　justifies　its　advances　towards　a　primal　being。

　　Now　reason　looks　round　for　the　conception　of　a　being　that　may　be

admitted；　without　inconsistency；　to　be　worthy　of　the　attribute　of

absolute　necessity；　not　for　the　purpose　of　inferring　a　priori；　from

the　conception　of　such　a　being；　its　objective　existence　（for　if　reason

allowed　itself　to　take　this　course；　it　would　not　require　a　basis　in

given　and　actual　existence；　but　merely　the　support　of　pure

conceptions）；　but　for　the　purpose　of　discovering；　among　all　our

conceptions　of　possible　things；　that　conception　which　possesses　no

element　inconsistent　with　the　idea　of　absolute　necessity。　For　that

there　must　be　some　absolutely　necessary　existence；　it　regards　as　a

truth　already　established。　Now；　if　it　can　remove　every　existence

incapable　of　supporting　the　attribute　of　absolute　necessity；　excepting

one…　this　must　be　the　absolutely　necessary　being；　whether　its

necessity　is　comprehensible　by　us；　that　is；　deducible　from　the

conception　of　it　alone；　or　not。

　　Now　that；　the　conception　of　which　contains　a　therefore　to　every

wherefore；　which　is　not　defective　in　any　respect　whatever；　which　is

all…sufficient　as　a　condition；　seems　to　be　the　being　of　which　we　can

justly　predicate　absolute　necessity…　for　this　reason；　that；　possessing

the　conditions　of　all　that　is　possible；　it　does　not　and　cannot

itself　require　any　condition。　And　thus　it　satisfies；　in　one　respect　at

least；　the　requirements　of　the　conception　of　absolute　necessity。　In

this　view；　it　is　superior　to　all　other　conceptions；　which；　as

deficient　and　incomplete；　do　not　possess　the　characteristic　of

independence　of　all　higher　conditions。　It　is　true　that　we　cannot　infer

from　this　that　what　does　not　contain　in　itself　the　supreme　and

complete　condition…　the　condition　of　all　other　things…　must　possess

only　a　conditioned　existence；　but　as　little　can　we　assert　the

contrary；　for　this　supposed　being　does　not　possess　the　only

characteristic　which　can　enable　reason　to　cognize　by　means　of　an　a

priori　conception　the　unconditioned　and　necessary　nature　of　its

existence。

　　The　conception　of　an　ens　realissimum　is　that　which　best　agrees

with　the　conception　of　an　unconditioned　and　necessary　being。　The

former　conception　does　not　satisfy　all　the　requirements　of　the　latter；

but　we　have　no　choice；　we　are　obliged　to　adhere　to　it；　for　we　find

that　we　cannot　do　without　the　existence　of　a　necessary　being；　and　even

although　we　admit　it；　we　find　it　out　of　our　power　to　discover　in　the

whole　sphere　of　possibility　any　being　that　can　advance　wellgrounded

claims　to　such　a　distinction。

　　The　following　is；　therefore；　the　natural　course　of　human　reason。

It　begins　by　persuading　itself　of　the　existence　of　some　necessary

being。　In　this　being　it　recognizes　the　characteristics　of

unconditioned　existence。　It　then　seeks　the　conception　of　that　which　is

independent　of　all　conditions；　and　finds　it　in　that　which　is　itself

the　sufficient　condition　of　all　other　things…　in　other　words；　in

that　which　contains　all　reality。　But　the　unlimited　all　is　an

absolute　unity；　and　is　conceived　by　the　mind　as　a　being　one　and

supreme；　and　thus　reason　concludes　that　the　Supreme　Being；　as　the

primal　basis　of　all　things；　possesses　an　existence　which　is　absolutely

necessary。

　　This　conception　must　be　regarded　as　in　some　degree　satisfactory；

if　we　admit　the　existence　of　a　necessary　being；　and　consider　that

there　exists　a　necessity　for　a　definite　and　final　answer　to　these

questions。　In　such　a　case；　we　cannot　make　a　better　choice；　or　rather

we　have　no　choice　at　all；　but　feel　ourselves　obliged　to　declare　in

favour　of　the　absolute　unity　of　complete　reality；　as　the　highest

source　of　the　possibility　of　things。　But　if　there　exists　no　motive　for

coming　to　a　definite　conclusion；　and　we　may　leave　the　question

unanswered　till　we　have　fully　weighed　both　sides…　in　other　words；　when

we　are　merely　called　upon　to　decide　how　much　we　happen　to　know　about

the　question；　and　how　much　we　merely　flatter　ourselves　that　we　know…

the　above　conclusion　does　not　appear　to　be　so　great　advantage；　but；　on

the　contrary；　seems　defective　in　the　grounds　upon　which　it　is

supported。

　　For；　admitting　the　truth　of　all　that　has　been　said；　that；　namely；

the　inference　from　a　given　existence　（my　own；　for　example）　to　the

existence　of　an　unconditioned　and　necessary　being　is　valid　and

unassailable；　that；　in　the　second　place；　we　must　consider　a　being

which　contains　all　reality；　and　consequently　all　the　conditions　of

other　things；　to　be　absolutely　unconditioned；　and　admitting　too；

that　we　have　thus　discovered　the　conception　of　a　thing　to　which　may　be

attributed；　without　inconsistency；　absolute　necessity…　it　does　not

follow　from　all　this　that　the　conception　of　a　limited　being；　in

which　the　supreme　reality　does　not　reside；　is　therefore　incompatible

with　the　idea　of　absolute　necessity。　For；　although　I　do　not　discover

the　element　of　the　unconditioned　in　the　conception　of　such　a　being…　an

element　which　is　manifestly　existent　in　the　sum…total　of　all

conditions…　I　am　not　entitled　to　conclude　that　its　existence　is

therefore　conditioned；　just　as　I　am　not　entitled　to　affirm；　in　a

hypothetical　syllogism；　that　where　a　certain　condition　does　not

exist　（in　the　present；　completeness；　as　far　as　pure　conceptions　are

concerned）；　the　conditioned　does　not　exist　either。　On　the　contrary；　we

are　free　to　consider　all　limited　beings　as　likewise　unconditionally

necessary；　although　we　are　unable　to　infer　this　from　the　general

conception　which　we　have　of　them。　Thus　conducted；　this　argument　is

incapable　of　giving　us　the　least　notion　of　the　properties　of　a

necessary　being；　and　must　be　in　every　respect　without　result。

　　This　argument　continues；　however；　to　possess　a　weight　and　an

authority；　which；　in　spite　of　its　objective　insufficiency；　it　has

never　been　divested　of。　For；　granting　that　certain　responsibilities

lie　upon　us；　which；　as　based　on　the　ideas　of　reason；　deserve　to　be

respected　and　submitted　to；　although　they　are　incapable　of　a　real　or

practical　application　to　our　nature；　or；　in　other　words；　would　be

responsibilities　without　motives；　except　upon　the　supposition　of　a

Supreme　Being　to　give　effect　and　influence　to　the　practical　laws：　in

such　a　case　we　should　be　bound　to　obey　our　conceptions；　which；

although　objectively　insufficient；　do；　according　to　the　standard　of

reason；　preponderate　over　and　are　superior　to　any　claims　that　may　be

advanced　from　any　other　quarter。　The　equilibrium　of　doubt　would　in

this　case　be　destroyed　by　a　practical　addition；　indeed；　Reason　would

be　compelled　to　condemn　herself；　if　she　refused　to　comply　with　the

demands　of　the　judgement；　no　superior　to　which　we　know…　however

defective　her　understanding　of　the　grounds　of　these　demands　might　be。

　　This　argument；　although　in　fact　transcendental；　inasmuch　as　it　rests

upon　the　intrinsic　insufficiency　of　the　contingent；　is　so　simple　and

natural；　that　the　commonest　understanding　can　appreciate　its　value。　We

see　things　around　us　change；　arise；　and　pass　away；　they；　or　their

condition；　must　therefore　have　a　cause。　The　same　demand　must　again

be　made　of　the　cause　itself…　as　a　datum　of　experience。　Now　it　is

natural　that　we　should　place　the　highest　causality　just　where　we　place

supreme　causality；　in　that　being；　which　contains　the　conditions　of　all

possible　effects；　and　the　conception　of　which　is　so　simple　as　that

of　an　all…embracing　reality。　This　highest　cause；　then；　we　regard　as

absolutely　necessary；　because　we　find　it　absolutely　necessary　to

rise　to　it；　and　do　not　discover　any　reason　for　proceeding　beyond　it。

Thus；　among　all　nations；　through　the　darkest　polytheism　glimmer　some

faint　sparks　of　monotheism；　to　which　these　idolaters　have　been　led；

not　from　reflection　and　profound　thought；　but　by　the　study　and　natural

progress　of　the　common　understanding。

　　There　are　only　three　modes　of　proving　the　existence　of　a　Deity；　on

the　grounds　of　speculative　reason。

　　All　the　paths　conducting　to　this　end　begin　either　from　determinate

experience　and　the　peculiar　constitution　of　the　world　of　sense；　and

rise；　according　to　the　laws　of　causality；　from　it　to　the　highest　cause

existing　apart　from　the　world…　or　from　a　purely　indeterminate

experience；　that　is；　some　empirical　existence…　or　abstraction　is

made　of　all　experience；　and　the　existence　of　a　supreme　cause　is

concluded　from　a　priori　conceptions　alone。　The　first　is　the

physicotheological　argument；　the　second　the　cosmological；　the　third

the　ontological。　More　there　are　not；　and　more　there　cannot　be。

　　I　shall　show　it　is　as　unsuccessful　on　the　one　path…　the　empirical…

as　on　the　other…　the　transcendental…　and　that　it　stretches　its　wings

in　vain；　to　soar　beyond　the　world　of　sense　by　the　mere　might　of

speculative　thought。　As　regards　the　order　in　which　we　must　discuss

those　arguments；　it　will　be　exactly　the　reverse　of　that　in　which

reason；　in　the　progress　of　its　development；　attains　to　them…　the　order

in　which　they　are　placed　above。　For　it　will　be　made　manifest　to　the

reader　that；　although　experience　presents　the　occasion　and　the

starting…point；　it　is　the　transcendental　idea　of　reason　which　guides

it　in　its　pilgrimage　and　is　the　goal　of　all　its　struggles。　I　shall

therefore　begin　with　an　examination　of　the　transcendental　argument；

and　afterwards　inquire　what　additional　strength　has　accrued　to　this

mode　of　proof　from　the　addition　of　the　empirical　element。



　　SECTION　IV。　Of　the　Impossibility　of　an　Ontological　Proof　of

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　the　Existence　of　God。



　　It　is　evident　from　what　has　been　said　that　the　conception　of　an

absolutely　necessary　being　is　a　mere　idea；　the　objective　reality　of

which　is　far　from　being　established　by　the　mere　fact　that　it　is　a　need

of　reason。　On　the　contrary；　this　idea　serves　merely　to　indicate　a

certain　unattainable　perfection；　and　rather　limits　the　operations

than；　by　the　presentation　of　new　objects；　extends　the　sphere　of　the

understanding。　But　a　strange　anomaly　meets　us　at　the　very　threshold；

for　the　inference　from　a　given　existence　in　general　to　an　absolutely

necessary　existence　seems　to　be　correct　and　unavoidable；　while　the

conditions　of　the　understanding　refuse　to　aid　us　in　forming　any

conception　of　such　a　being。

　　Philosophers　have　always　talked　of　an　absolutely　necessary　being；

and　have　nevertheless　declined　to　take　the　trouble　of　conceiving

whether…　and　how…　a　being　of　this　nature　is　even　cogitable；　not　to

mention　that　its　existence　is　actually　demonstrable。　A　verbal

defini