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.They are, on the contrary,pure and genuine products, or problems, of pure reason.What modi of the pure conceptions of reason these transcendental ideas are will be fully exposed in thefollowing chapter.They follow the guiding thread of the categories.For pure reason never relatesSECTION III.System of Transcendental Ideas.130 The Critique of Pure Reasonimmediately to objects, but to the conceptions of these contained in the understanding.In like manner, it willbe made manifest in the detailed explanation of these ideas- how reason, merely through the synthetical useof the same function which it employs in a categorical syllogism, necessarily attains to the conception of theabsolute unity of the thinking subject- how the logical procedure in hypothetical ideas necessarily producesthe idea of the absolutely unconditioned in a series of given conditions, and finally- how the mere form ofthe disjunctive syllogism involves the highest conception of a being of all beings: a thought which at firstsight seems in the highest degree paradoxical.An objective deduction, such as we were able to present in the case of the categories, is impossible as regardsthese transcendental ideas.For they have, in truth, no relation to any object, in experience, for the very reasonthat they are only ideas.But a subjective deduction of them from the nature of our reason is possible, and hasbeen given in the present chapter.It is easy to perceive that the sole aim of pure reason is the absolute totality of the synthesis on the side of theconditions, and that it does not concern itself with the absolute completeness on the Part of the conditioned.For of the former alone does she stand in need, in order to preposit the whole series of conditions, and thuspresent them to the understanding a priori.But if we once have a completely (and unconditionally) givencondition, there is no further necessity, in proceeding with the series, for a conception of reason; for theunderstanding takes of itself every step downward, from the condition to the conditioned.Thus thetranscendental ideas are available only for ascending in the series of conditions, till we reach theunconditioned, that is, principles.As regards descending to the conditioned, on the other hand, we find thatthere is a widely extensive logical use which reason makes of the laws of the understanding, but that atranscendental use thereof is impossible; and that when we form an idea of the absolute totality of such asynthesis, for example, of the whole series of all future changes in the world, this idea is a mere ens rationis,an arbitrary fiction of thought, and not a necessary presupposition of reason.For the possibility of theconditioned presupposes the totality of its conditions, but not of its consequences.Consequently, thisconception is not a transcendental idea- and it is with these alone that we are at present occupied.Finally, it is obvious that there exists among the transcendental ideas a certain connection and unity, and thatpure reason, by means of them, collects all its cognitions into one system.From the cognition of self to thecognition of the world, and through these to the supreme being, the progression is so natural, that it seems toresemble the logical march of reason from the premisses to the conclusion.* Now whether there liesunobserved at the foundation of these ideas an analogy of the same kind as exists between the logical andtranscendental procedure of reason, is another of those questions, the answer to which we must not expect tillwe arrive at a more advanced stage in our inquiries.In this cursory and preliminary view, we have,meanwhile, reached our aim.For we have dispelled the ambiguity which attached to the transcendentalconceptions of reason, from their being commonly mixed up with other conceptions in the systems ofphilosophers, and not properly distinguished from the conceptions of the understanding; we have exposedtheir origin and, thereby, at the same time their determinate number, and presented them in a systematicconnection, and have thus marked out and enclosed a definite sphere for pure reason.*The science of Metaphysics has for the proper object of its inquiries only three grand ideas: GOD,FREEDOM, and IMMORTALITY, and it aims at showing, that the second conception, conjoined with thefirst, must lead to the third, as a necessary conclusion.All the other subjects with which it occupies itself, aremerely means for the attainment and realization of these ideas.It does not require these ideas for theconstruction of a science of nature, but, on the contrary, for the purpose of passing beyond the sphere ofnature.A complete insight into and comprehension of them would render Theology, Ethics, and, through theconjunction of both, Religion, solely dependent on the speculative faculty of reason.In a systematicrepresentation of these ideas the above-mentioned arrangement- the synthetical one- would be the mostsuitable; but in the investigation which must necessarily precede it, the analytical, which reverses thisarrangement, would be better adapted to our purpose, as in it we should proceed from that which experienceSECTION III.System of Transcendental Ideas.131 The Critique of Pure Reasonimmediately presents to us- psychology, to cosmology, and thence to theology.BOOK II.OF THE DIALECTICAL PROCEDURE OF PURE REASON.It may be said that the object of a merely transcendental idea is something of which we have no conception,although the idea may be a necessary product of reason according to its original laws.For, in fact, aconception of an object that is adequate to the idea given by reason, is impossible [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.They are, on the contrary,pure and genuine products, or problems, of pure reason.What modi of the pure conceptions of reason these transcendental ideas are will be fully exposed in thefollowing chapter.They follow the guiding thread of the categories.For pure reason never relatesSECTION III.System of Transcendental Ideas.130 The Critique of Pure Reasonimmediately to objects, but to the conceptions of these contained in the understanding.In like manner, it willbe made manifest in the detailed explanation of these ideas- how reason, merely through the synthetical useof the same function which it employs in a categorical syllogism, necessarily attains to the conception of theabsolute unity of the thinking subject- how the logical procedure in hypothetical ideas necessarily producesthe idea of the absolutely unconditioned in a series of given conditions, and finally- how the mere form ofthe disjunctive syllogism involves the highest conception of a being of all beings: a thought which at firstsight seems in the highest degree paradoxical.An objective deduction, such as we were able to present in the case of the categories, is impossible as regardsthese transcendental ideas.For they have, in truth, no relation to any object, in experience, for the very reasonthat they are only ideas.But a subjective deduction of them from the nature of our reason is possible, and hasbeen given in the present chapter.It is easy to perceive that the sole aim of pure reason is the absolute totality of the synthesis on the side of theconditions, and that it does not concern itself with the absolute completeness on the Part of the conditioned.For of the former alone does she stand in need, in order to preposit the whole series of conditions, and thuspresent them to the understanding a priori.But if we once have a completely (and unconditionally) givencondition, there is no further necessity, in proceeding with the series, for a conception of reason; for theunderstanding takes of itself every step downward, from the condition to the conditioned.Thus thetranscendental ideas are available only for ascending in the series of conditions, till we reach theunconditioned, that is, principles.As regards descending to the conditioned, on the other hand, we find thatthere is a widely extensive logical use which reason makes of the laws of the understanding, but that atranscendental use thereof is impossible; and that when we form an idea of the absolute totality of such asynthesis, for example, of the whole series of all future changes in the world, this idea is a mere ens rationis,an arbitrary fiction of thought, and not a necessary presupposition of reason.For the possibility of theconditioned presupposes the totality of its conditions, but not of its consequences.Consequently, thisconception is not a transcendental idea- and it is with these alone that we are at present occupied.Finally, it is obvious that there exists among the transcendental ideas a certain connection and unity, and thatpure reason, by means of them, collects all its cognitions into one system.From the cognition of self to thecognition of the world, and through these to the supreme being, the progression is so natural, that it seems toresemble the logical march of reason from the premisses to the conclusion.* Now whether there liesunobserved at the foundation of these ideas an analogy of the same kind as exists between the logical andtranscendental procedure of reason, is another of those questions, the answer to which we must not expect tillwe arrive at a more advanced stage in our inquiries.In this cursory and preliminary view, we have,meanwhile, reached our aim.For we have dispelled the ambiguity which attached to the transcendentalconceptions of reason, from their being commonly mixed up with other conceptions in the systems ofphilosophers, and not properly distinguished from the conceptions of the understanding; we have exposedtheir origin and, thereby, at the same time their determinate number, and presented them in a systematicconnection, and have thus marked out and enclosed a definite sphere for pure reason.*The science of Metaphysics has for the proper object of its inquiries only three grand ideas: GOD,FREEDOM, and IMMORTALITY, and it aims at showing, that the second conception, conjoined with thefirst, must lead to the third, as a necessary conclusion.All the other subjects with which it occupies itself, aremerely means for the attainment and realization of these ideas.It does not require these ideas for theconstruction of a science of nature, but, on the contrary, for the purpose of passing beyond the sphere ofnature.A complete insight into and comprehension of them would render Theology, Ethics, and, through theconjunction of both, Religion, solely dependent on the speculative faculty of reason.In a systematicrepresentation of these ideas the above-mentioned arrangement- the synthetical one- would be the mostsuitable; but in the investigation which must necessarily precede it, the analytical, which reverses thisarrangement, would be better adapted to our purpose, as in it we should proceed from that which experienceSECTION III.System of Transcendental Ideas.131 The Critique of Pure Reasonimmediately presents to us- psychology, to cosmology, and thence to theology.BOOK II.OF THE DIALECTICAL PROCEDURE OF PURE REASON.It may be said that the object of a merely transcendental idea is something of which we have no conception,although the idea may be a necessary product of reason according to its original laws.For, in fact, aconception of an object that is adequate to the idea given by reason, is impossible [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]