the critique of pure reason-第88章

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the　regress　through　the　conditions　of　existence；　without　admitting　the

existence　of　a　necessary　being；　but；　on　the　other　hand；　I　cannot

make　a　commencement　from　this　being。

　　If　I　must　cogitate　something　as　existing　necessarily　as　the　basis　of

existing　things；　and　yet　am　not　permitted　to　cogitate　any　individual

thing　as　in　itself　necessary；　the　inevitable　inference　is　that

necessity　and　contingency　are　not　properties　of　things　themselves…

otherwise　an　internal　contradiction　would　result；　that　consequently

neither　of　these　principles　are　objective；　but　merely　subjective

principles　of　reason…　the　one　requiring　us　to　seek　for　a　necessary

ground　for　everything　that　exists；　that　is；　to　be　satisfied　with　no

other　explanation　than　that　which　is　complete　a　priori；　the　other

forbidding　us　ever　to　hope　for　the　attainment　of　this　completeness；

that　is；　to　regard　no　member　of　the　empirical　world　as

unconditioned。　In　this　mode　of　viewing　them；　both　principles；　in　their

purely　heuristic　and　regulative　character；　and　as　concerning　merely

the　formal　interest　of　reason；　are　quite　consistent　with　each　other。

The　one　says：　〃You　must　philosophize　upon　nature；〃　as　if　there　existed

a　necessary　primal　basis　of　all　existing　things；　solely　for　the

purpose　of　introducing　systematic　unity　into　your　knowledge；　by

pursuing　an　idea　of　this　character…　a　foundation　which　is

arbitrarily　admitted　to　be　ultimate；　while　the　other　warns　you　to

consider　no　individual　determination；　concerning　the　existence　of

things；　as　such　an　ultimate　foundation；　that　is；　as　absolutely

necessary；　but　to　keep　the　way　always　open　for　further　progress　in　the

deduction；　and　to　treat　every　determination　as　determined　by　some

other。　But　if　all　that　we　perceive　must　be　regarded　as　conditionally

necessary；　it　is　impossible　that　anything　which　is　empirically　given

should　be　absolutely　necessary。

　　It　follows　from　this　that　you　must　accept　the　absolutely　necessary

as　out　of　and　beyond　the　world；　inasmuch　as　it　is　useful　only　as　a

principle　of　the　highest　possible　unity　in　experience；　and　you

cannot　discover　any　such　necessary　existence　in　the　would；　the

second　rule　requiring　you　to　regard　all　empirical　causes　of　unity　as

themselves　deduced。

　　The　philosophers　of　antiquity　regarded　all　the　forms　of　nature　as

contingent；　while　matter　was　considered　by　them；　in　accordance　with

the　judgement　of　the　common　reason　of　mankind；　as　primal　and

necessary。　But　if　they　had　regarded　matter；　not　relatively…　as　the

substratum　of　phenomena；　but　absolutely　and　in　itself…　as　an

independent　existence；　this　idea　of　absolute　necessity　would　have

immediately　disappeared。　For　there　is　nothing　absolutely　connecting

reason　with　such　an　existence；　on　the　contrary；　it　can　annihilate　it

in　thought；　always　and　without　self…contradiction。　But　in　thought

alone　lay　the　idea　of　absolute　necessity。　A　regulative　principle　must；

therefore；　have　been　at　the　foundation　of　this　opinion。　In　fact；

extension　and　impenetrability…　which　together　constitute　our

conception　of　matter…　form　the　supreme　empirical　principle　of　the

unity　of　phenomena；　and　this　principle；　in　so　far　as　it　is　empirically

unconditioned；　possesses　the　property　of　a　regulative　principle。

But；　as　every　determination　of　matter　which　constitutes　what　is　real

in　it…　and　consequently　impenetrability…　is　an　effect；　which　must　have

a　cause；　and　is　for　this　reason　always　derived；　the　notion　of　matter

cannot　harmonize　with　the　idea　of　a　necessary　being；　in　its

character　of　the　principle　of　all　derived　unity。　For　every　one　of

its　real　properties；　being　derived；　must　be　only　conditionally

necessary；　and　can　therefore　be　annihilated　in　thought；　and　thus　the

whole　existence　of　matter　can　be　so　annihilated　or　suppressed。　If　this

were　not　the　case；　we　should　have　found　in　the　world　of　phenomena

the　highest　ground　or　condition　of　unity…　which　is　impossible；

according　to　the　second　regulative　principle。　It　follows　that

matter；　and；　in　general；　all　that　forms　part　of　the　world　of　sense；

cannot　be　a　necessary　primal　being；　nor　even　a　principle　of

empirical　unity；　but　that　this　being　or　principle　must　have　its

place　assigned　without　the　world。　And；　in　this　way；　we　can　proceed

in　perfect　confidence　to　deduce　the　phenomena　of　the　world　and　their

existence　from　other　phenomena；　just　as　if　there　existed　no

necessary　being；　and　we　can　at　the　same　time；　strive　without　ceasing

towards　the　attainment　of　completeness　for　our　deduction；　just　as　if

such　a　being…　the　supreme　condition　of　all　existences…　were

presupposed　by　the　mind。

　　These　remarks　will　have　made　it　evident　to　the　reader　that　the　ideal

of　the　Supreme　Being；　far　from　being　an　enouncement　of　the　existence

of　a　being　in　itself　necessary；　is　nothing　more　than　a　regulative

principle　of　reason；　requiring　us　to　regard　all　connection　existing

between　phenomena　as　if　it　had　its　origin　from　an　all…sufficient

necessary　cause；　and　basing　upon　this　the　rule　of　a　systematic　and

necessary　unity　in　the　explanation　of　phenomena。　We　cannot；　at　the

same　time；　avoid　regarding；　by　a　transcendental　subreptio；　this　formal

principle　as　constitutive；　and　hypostatizing　this　unity。　Precisely

similar　is　the　case　with　our　notion　of　space。　Space　is　the　primal

condition　of　all　forms；　which　are　properly　just　so　many　different

limitations　of　it；　and　thus；　although　it　is　merely　a　principle　of

sensibility；　we　cannot　help　regarding　it　as　an　absolutely　necessary

and　self…subsistent　thing…　as　an　object　given　a　priori　in　itself。　In

the　same　way；　it　is　quite　natural　that；　as　the　systematic　unity　of

nature　cannot　be　established　as　a　principle　for　the　empirical

employment　of　reason；　unless　it　is　based　upon　the　idea　of　an　ens

realissimum；　as　the　supreme　cause；　we　should　regard　this　idea　as　a

real　object；　and　this　object；　in　its　character　of　supreme　condition；

as　absolutely　necessary；　and　that　in　this　way　a　regulative　should　be

transformed　into　a　constitutive　principle。　This　interchange　becomes

evident　when　I　regard　this　supreme　being；　which；　relatively　to　the

world；　was　absolutely　（unconditionally）　necessary；　as　a　thing　per

se。　In　this　case；　I　find　it　impossible　to　represent　this　necessity

in　or　by　any　conception；　and　it　exists　merely　in　my　own　mind；　as　the

formal　condition　of　thought；　but　not　as　a　material　and　hypostatic

condition　of　existence。



　　SECTION　VI。　Of　the　Impossibility　of　a　Physico…Theological　Proof。



　　If；　then；　neither　a　pure　conception　nor　the　general　experience　of　an

existing　being　can　provide　a　sufficient　basis　for　the　proof　of　the

existence　of　the　Deity；　we　can　make　the　attempt　by　the　only　other

mode…　that　of　grounding　our　argument　upon　a　determinate　experience

of　the　phenomena　of　the　present　world；　their　constitution　and

disposition；　and　discover　whether　we　can　thus　attain　to　a　sound

conviction　of　the　existence　of　a　Supreme　Being。　This　argument　we　shall

term　the　physico…theological　argument。　If　it　is　shown　to　be

insufficient；　speculative　reason　cannot　present　us　with　any

satisfactory　proof　of　the　existence　of　a　being　corresponding　to　our

transcendental　idea。

　　It　is　evident　from　the　remarks　that　have　been　made　in　the

preceding　sections；　that　an　answer　to　this　question　will　be　far　from

being　difficult　or　unconvincing。　For　how　can　any　experience　be

adequate　with　an　idea？　The　very　essence　of　an　idea　consists　in　the

fact　that　no　experience　can　ever　be　discovered　congruent　or　adequate

with　it。　The　transcendental　idea　of　a　necessary　and　all…sufficient

being　is　so　immeasurably　great；　so　high　above　all　that　is　empirical；

which　is　always　conditioned；　that　we　hope　in　vain　to　find　materials　in

the　sphere　of　experience　sufficiently　ample　for　our　conception；　and　in

vain　seek　the　unconditioned　among　things　that　are　conditioned；　while

examples；　nay；　even　guidance　is　denied　us　by　the　laws　of　empirical

synthesis。

　　If　the　Supreme　Being　forms　a　link　in　the　chain　of　empirical

conditions；　it　must　be　a　member　of　the　empirical　series；　and；　like　the

lower　members　which　it　precedes；　have　its　origin　in　some　higher　member

of　the　series。　If；　on　the　other　hand；　we　disengage　it　from　the

chain；　and　cogitate　it　as　an　intelligible　being；　apart　from　the　series

of　natural　causes…　how　shall　reason　bridge　the　abyss　that　separates

the　latter　from　the　former？　All　laws　respecting　the　regress　from

effects　to　causes；　all　synthetical　additions　to　our　knowledge　relate

solely　to　possible　experience　and　the　objects　of　the　sensuous　world；

and；　apart　from　them；　are　without　significance。

　　The　world　around　us　opens　before　our　view　so　magnificent　a　spectacle

of　order；　variety；　beauty；　and　conformity　to　ends；　that　whether　we

pursue　our　observations　into　the　infinity　of　space　in　the　one

direction；　or　into　its　illimitable　divisions　in　the　other；　whether

we　regard　the　world　in　its　greatest　or　its　least　manifestations…

even　after　we　have　attained　to　the　highest　summit　of　knowledge　which

our　weak　minds　can　reach；　we　find　that　language　in　the　presence　of

wonders　so　inconceivable　has　lost　its　force；　and　number　its　power　to

reckon；　nay；　even　thought　fails　to　conceive　adequately；　and　our

conception　of　the　whole　dissolves　into　an　astonishment　without　power

of　expression…　all　the　more　eloquent　that　it　is　dumb。　Everywhere

around　us　we　observe　a　chain　of　causes　and　effects；　of　means　and　ends；

of　death　and　birth；　and；　as　nothing　has　entered　of　itself　into　the

condition　in　which　we　find　it；　we　are　constantly　referred　to　some

other　thing；　which　itself　suggests　the　same　inquiry　regarding　its

cause；　and　thus　the　universe　must　sink　into　the　abyss　of

nothingness；　unless　we　admit　that；　besides　this　infinite　chain　of

contingencies；　there　exists　something　that　is　primal　and

self…subsistent…　something　which；　as　the　cause　of　this　phenomenal

world；　secures　its　continuance　and　preservation。

　　This　highest　cause…　what　magnitude　shall　we　attribute　to　it？　Of

the　content　of　the　world　we　are　ignorant；　still　less　can　we　estimate

its　magnitude　by　comparison　with　the　sphere　of　the　possible。　But

this　supreme　cause　being　a　necessity　of　the　human　mind；　what　is

there　to　prevent　us　from　attributing　to　it　such　a　degree　of　perfection

as　to　place　it　above　the　sphere　of　all　that　is　possible？　This　we　can

easily　do；　although　only　by　the　aid　of　the　faint　outline　of　an

abstract　conception；　by　representing　this　being　to　ourselves　as

containing　in　itself；　as　an　individual　substance；　all　possible

perfection…　a　conception　which　satisfies　that　requirement　of　reason

which　demands　parsimony　in　principles；　which　is　free　from

self…contradiction；　which　even　contributes　to　the　extension　of　the

employment　of　reason　in　experience；　by　means　of　the　guidance

afforded　by　this　idea　to　order　and　system；　and　which　in　no　respect

conflicts　with　any　law　of　experience。

　　This　argument　always　deserves　to　be　mentioned　with　respect。　It　is

the　oldest；　the　clearest；　and　that　most　in　conformit