登陆注册
15729100000003

第3章

I know no investigations more necessary for a full insight into the nature of the faculty which we call understanding, and at the same time for the determination of the rules and limits of its use, than those undertaken in the second chapter of the "Transcendental Analytic," under the title of "Deduction of the Pure Conceptions of the Understanding"; and they have also cost me by far the greatest labour- labour which, I hope, will not remain uncompensated.The view there taken, which goes somewhat deeply into the subject, has two sides, The one relates to the objects of the pure understanding, and is intended to demonstrate and to render comprehensible the objective validity of its a priori conceptions; and it forms for this reason an essential part of the Critique.The other considers the pure understanding itself, its possibility and its powers of cognition- that is, from a subjective point of view; and, although this exposition is of great importance, it does not belong essentially to the main purpose of the work, because the grand question is what and how much can reason and understanding, apart from experience, cognize, and not, how is the faculty of thought itself possible? As the latter is an, inquiry into the cause of a given effect, and has thus in it some semblance of an hypothesis (although, as I shall show on another occasion, this is really not the fact), it would seem that, in the present instance, I had allowed myself to enounce a mere opinion, and that the reader must therefore be at liberty to hold a different opinion.But I beg to remind him that, if my subjective deduction does not produce in his mind the conviction of its certitude at which I aimed, the objective deduction, with which alone the present work is properly concerned, is in every respect satisfactory.

As regards clearness, the reader has a right to demand, in the first place, discursive or logical clearness, that is, on the basis of conceptions, and, secondly, intuitive or aesthetic clearness, by means of intuitions, that is, by examples or other modes of illustration in concreto.I have done what I could for the first kind of intelligibility.This was essential to my purpose; and it thus became the accidental cause of my inability to do complete justice to the second requirement.I have been almost always at a loss, during the progress of this work, how to settle this question.Examples and illustrations always appeared to me necessary, and, in the first sketch of the Critique, naturally fell into their proper places.But Ivery soon became aware of the magnitude of my task, and the numerous problems with which I should be engaged; and, as I perceived that this critical investigation would, even if delivered in the driest scholastic manner, be far from being brief, I found it unadvisable to enlarge it still more with examples and explanations, which are necessary only from a popular point of view.I was induced to take this course from the consideration also that the present work is not intended for popular use, that those devoted to science do not require such helps, although they are always acceptable, and that they would have materially interfered with my present purpose.Abbe Terrasson remarks with great justice that, if we estimate the size of a work, not from the number of its pages, but from the time which we require to make ourselves master of it, it may be said of many a book that it would be much shorter, if it were not so short.On the other hand, as regards the comprehensibility of a system of speculative cognition, connected under a single principle, we may say with equal justice: many a book would have been much clearer, if it had not been intended to be so very clear.For explanations and examples, and other helps to intelligibility, aid us in the comprehension of parts, but they distract the attention, dissipate the mental power of the reader, and stand in the way of his forming a clear conception of the whole; as he cannot attain soon enough to a survey of the system, and the colouring and embellishments bestowed upon it prevent his observing its articulation or organization- which is the most important consideration with him, when he comes to judge of its unity and stability.

The reader must naturally have a strong inducement to co-operate with the present author, if he has formed the intention of erecting a complete and solid edifice of metaphysical science, according to the plan now laid before him.Metaphysics, as here represented, is the only science which admits of completion- and with little labour, if it is united, in a short time; so that nothing will be left to future generations except the task of illustrating and applying it didactically.For this science is nothing more than the inventory of all that is given us by pure reason, systematically arranged.

Nothing can escape our notice; for what reason produces from itself cannot lie concealed, but must be brought to the light by reason itself, so soon as we have discovered the common principle of the ideas we seek.The perfect unity of this kind of cognitions, which are based upon pure conceptions, and uninfluenced by any empirical element, or any peculiar intuition leading to determinate experience, renders this completeness not only practicable, but also necessary.

同类推荐
  • 易斋集

    易斋集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 新刊贤首国师碑传

    新刊贤首国师碑传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • The Diary of an Old Soul

    The Diary of an Old Soul

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 太上洞真安灶经

    太上洞真安灶经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 素履子

    素履子

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 整仁传

    整仁传

    嘈杂纷乱的都市中,身具异禀的小子,在一个机缘下,来到了另一个全新的世界,这是穿越吗?不是的!适合人类生存的真的只有地球这一个孤独的星球吗?不是的!那这个全新的世界是怎样的一种文明呢?显然并非众人熟知的科技,而是力量!在这个力量文明的世界里,主人公成功的活下去,等待他的是无穷的力量,还有那如花的美女……最后终于弄清楚了这一切,并成功返回地球,与那两小无猜的小姑娘……
  • 网游之武尽

    网游之武尽

    2046年,最新推出虚拟游戏武尽,结合了古武与虚拟,主人公刘克在游戏中开始了新的生活,并在游戏中一点点的开始了蜕变……在出人头地的打拼与寻找自己的姐姐的旅途中,有什么阴霾,正在开始笼罩这个和平的世界时间线——暗主,武尽,虫祭
  • 我入玄门的二三事

    我入玄门的二三事

    我原名刘二钱,因为这个名字我觉得太俗气找不上女朋友所以干脆自己改了个名字,文邹邹的,叫刘习风。谁知道,改名不要紧,我爷爷费牛劲给我改的命格也彻底因为这次的改名儿变化了。从此我看见了一些不干净的东西,也因此被迫让爷爷带着我入了玄门。为了我的第二次改名,爷爷想出了个土法子,结阴婚。好吧,我不得不说,一如玄门深四海,从此媳妇成鬼魂……(ps:有些实用的民间捉鬼术我也会在文章后面给大家说一下。)
  • 宇宙探秘

    宇宙探秘

    一个个的宇宙问题,将在此书中逐个解开,带你去探索一个个新的宇宙领域,为你解答一个个的宇宙难题。
  • 血魔恋

    血魔恋

    一个血族公主到人类世界的学校上学,却遇上了魔界的王子在学校,因而惹出了一堆难收拾的事……
  • 异界大神附我身

    异界大神附我身

    一个矮丁三寸,仙风道骨,鹤发童颜的灵体,对着一个浑身是伤的少年傲然开口道“追随我,我让你受万人敬仰“"不,我想要,英俊潇洒,风流倜傥,美女无数,万贯家财,万里山河……"滚,你以为我神扥呀!我还想呢!
  • 青春一笑而过

    青春一笑而过

    青春就像一场不散的宴席,每个人的青春都有一段故事,或喜悦或悲伤。那些青春的故事值得我们一辈子去铭记,当有一天想起了,会一笑而过,青春经历的那些都是为了以后能够成长,当有一天想起,会觉得人生挺好
  • 王俊凯我真的好喜欢你

    王俊凯我真的好喜欢你

    如果没有遇见你,或许我们就不会有这么多的悲欢离合了,但是我从未后悔爱上你。
  • 圣甲新纪元

    圣甲新纪元

    这是一个以圣甲为力量的世界,世界上存在着一到九星的圣甲,其中数量稀少的九星圣甲拥有推山倒海之力。天空中每晚出现的六芒星被人们称为神居住的天界,世界各地都充满了许多的历史之谜和史前遗迹。遗迹中威力巨大的史前神器令七大魔王苦苦探索。主人公轩辕与七大魔王之一路西法的爱恨纠缠以及对于1000年前消失的漫长历史真相的追寻与探索;敢爱敢恨的绝世美女路西法为了不被杀而不断地杀戮,一次次与轩辕邂逅又别离;笨头笨脑的神农对梦想的执著追求以及对于集轩辕的才华与路西法的美貌与一身的紫夜的一往情深。酆都大帝与魔王撒旦复活史前神器并称霸世界的阴谋,最后的决定世界命运的圣甲大战以及十星圣甲的出现,六芒星与神的真相……
  • 弹出一个世界

    弹出一个世界

    悬剑,一个集邪恶与正义于一身的神秘组织,他们冷血、残酷,以最暴力的手段惩治那些逃脱法律制裁的凶手;两重天,一个逐步发展起来的世界级大集团,他们带动华夏的经济发展、提高华夏的体育水平、推动华夏的科技进步,帮助每一个需要帮助的人。但是,当两者之间有了联系之后,又会发生什么事呢?