the+critique+of+pure+reason_纯粹理性批判-第113部分

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something；　on　which　the　supreme　and　necessary　unity　of　all
experience　is　based。　This　something　we　cannot；　following　the　analogy
of　a　real　substance；　cogitate　otherwise　than　as　the　cause　of　all
things　operating　in　accordance　with　rational　laws；　if　we　regard　it
as　an　individual　object；　although　we　should　rest　contented　with　the
idea　alone　as　a　regulative　principle　of　reason；　and　make　no　attempt　at
pleting　the　sum　of　the　conditions　imposed　by　thought。　This
attempt　is；　indeed；　inconsistent　with　the　grand　aim　of　plete
systematic　unity　in　the　sphere　of　cognition…　a　unity　to　which　no
bounds　are　set　by　reason。
　　Hence　it　happens　that；　admitting　a　divine　being；　I　can　have　no
conception　of　the　internal　possibility　of　its　perfection；　or　of　the
necessity　of　its　existence。　The　only　advantage　of　this　admission　is
that　it　enables　me　to　answer　all　other　questions　relating　to　the
contingent；　and　to　give　reason　the　most　plete　satisfaction　as
regards　the　unity　which　it　aims　at　attaining　in　the　world　of
experience。　But　I　cannot　satisfy　reason　with　regard　to　this　hypothesis
itself；　and　this　proves　that　it　is　not　its　intelligence　and　insight
into　the　subject；　but　its　speculative　interest　alone　which　induces
it　to　proceed　from　a　point　lying　far　beyond　the　sphere　of　our
cognition；　for　the　purpose　of　being　able　to　consider　all　objects　as
parts　of　a　systematic　whole。
　　Here　a　distinction　presents　itself；　in　regard　to　the　way　in　which　we
may　cogitate　a　presupposition…　a　distinction　which　is　somewhat　subtle；
but　of　great　importance　in　transcendental　philosophy。　I　may　have
sufficient　grounds　to　admit　something；　or　the　existence　of
something；　in　a　relative　point　of　view　（suppositio　relativa）；
without　being　justified　in　admitting　it　in　an　absolute　sense
（suppositio　absoluta）。　This　distinction　is　undoubtedly　requisite；　in
the　case　of　a　regulative　principle；　the　necessity　of　which　we
recognize；　though　we　are　ignorant　of　the　source　and　cause　of　that
necessity；　and　which　we　assume　to　be　based　upon　some　ultimate
ground；　for　the　purpose　of　being　able　to　cogitate　the　universality
of　the　principle　in　a　more　determinate　way。　For　example；　I　cogitate
the　existence　of　a　being　corresponding　to　a　pure　transcendental
idea。　But　I　cannot　admit　that　this　being　exists　absolutely　and　in
itself；　because　all　of　the　conceptions　by　which　I　can　cogitate　an
object　in　a　determinate　manner　fall　short　of　assuring　me　of　its
existence；　nay；　the　conditions　of　the　objective　validity　of　my
conceptions　are　excluded　by　the　idea…　by　the　very　fact　of　its　being　an
idea。　The　conceptions　of　reality；　substance；　causality；　nay；　even　that
of　necessity　in　existence；　have　no　significance　out　of　the　sphere　of
empirical　cognition；　and　cannot；　beyond　that　sphere；　determine　any
object。　They　may；　accordingly；　be　employed　to　explain　the
possibility　of　things　in　the　world　of　sense；　but　they　are　utterly
inadequate　to　explain　the　possibility　of　the　universe　itself
considered　as　a　whole；　because　in　this　case　the　ground　of
explanation　must　lie　out　of　and　beyond　the　world；　and　cannot；
therefore；　be　an　object　of　possible　experience。　Now；　I　may　admit　the
existence　of　an　inprehensible　being　of　this　nature…　the　object　of　a
mere　idea；　relatively　to　the　world　of　sense；　although　I　have　no　ground
to　admit　its　existence　absolutely　and　in　itself。　For　if　an　idea
（that　of　a　systematic　and　plete　unity；　of　which　I　shall　presently
speak　more　particularly）　lies　at　the　foundation　of　the　most　extended
empirical　employment　of　reason；　and　if　this　idea　cannot　be
adequately　represented　in　concreto；　although　it　is　indispensably
necessary　for　the　approximation　of　empirical　unity　to　the　highest
possible　degree…　I　am　not　only　authorized；　but　pelled；　to　realize
this　idea；　that　is；　to　posit　a　real　object　corresponding　thereto。
But　I　cannot　profess　to　know　this　object；　it　is　to　me　merely　a
something；　to　which；　as　the　ground　of　systematic　unity　in　cognition；　I
attribute　such　properties　as　are　analogous　to　the　conceptions　employed
by　the　understanding　in　the　sphere　of　experience。　Following　the
analogy　of　the　notions　of　reality；　substance；　causality；　and
necessity；　I　cogitate　a　being；　which　possesses　all　these　attributes　in
the　highest　degree；　and；　as　this　idea　is　the　offspring　of　my　reason
alone；　I　cogitate　this　being　as　self…subsistent　reason；　and　as　the
cause　of　the　universe　operating　by　means　of　ideas　of　the　greatest
possible　harmony　and　unity。　Thus　I　abstract　all　conditions　that
would　limit　my　idea；　solely　for　the　purpose　of　rendering　systematic
unity　possible　in　the　world　of　empirical　diversity；　and　thus
securing　the　widest　possible　extension　for　the　exercise　of　reason　in
that　sphere。　This　I　am　enabled　to　do；　by　regarding　all　connections　and
relations　in　the　world　of　sense；　as　if　they　were　the　dispositions　of　a
supreme　reason；　of　which　our　reason　is　but　a　faint　image。　I　then
proceed　to　cogitate　this　Supreme　Being　by　conceptions　which　have；
properly；　no　meaning　or　application；　except　in　the　world　of　sense。　But
as　I　am　authorized　to　employ　the　transcendental　hypothesis　of　such　a
being　in　a　relative　respect　alone；　that　is；　as　the　substratum　of　the
greatest　possible　unity　in　experience…　I　may　attribute　to　a　being
which　I　regard　as　distinct　from　the　world；　such　properties　as　belong
solely　to　the　sphere　of　sense　and　experience。　For　I　do　not　desire；　and
am　not　justified　in　desiring；　to　cognize　this　object　of　my　idea；　as　it
exists　in　itself；　for　I　possess　no　conceptions　sufficient　for　or　task；
those　of　reality；　substance；　causality；　nay；　even　that　of　necessity　in
existence；　losing　all　significance；　and　being　merely　the　signs　of
conceptions；　without　content　and　without　applicability；　when　I　attempt
to　carry　them　beyond　the　limits　of　the　world　of　sense。　I　cogitate
merely　the　relation　of　a　perfectly　unknown　being　to　the　greatest
possible　systematic　unity　of　experience；　solely　for　the　purpose　of
employing　it　as　the　schema　of　the　regulative　principle　which　directs
reason　in　its　empirical　exercise。
　　It　is　evident；　at　the　first　view；　that　we　cannot　presuppose　the
reality　of　this　transcendental　object；　by　means　of　the　conceptions
of　reality；　substance；　causality；　and　so　on；　because　these　conceptions
cannot　be　applied　to　anything　that　is　distinct　from　the　world　of
sense。　Thus　the　supposition　of　a　Supreme　Being　or　cause　is　purely
relative；　it　is　cogitated　only　in　behalf　of　the　systematic　unity　of
experience；　such　a　being　is　but　a　something；　of　whose　existence　in
itself　we　have　not　the　least　conception。　Thus；　too；　it　bees
sufficiently　manifest　why　we　required　the　idea　of　a　necessary　being　in
relation　to　objects　given　by　sense；　although　we　can　never　have　the
least　conception　of　this　being；　or　of　its　absolute　necessity。
　　And　now　we　can　clearly　perceive　the　result　of　our　transcendental
dialectic；　and　the　proper　aim　of　the　ideas　of　pure　reason…　which
bee　dialectical　solely　from　misunderstanding　and　inconsiderateness。
Pure　reason　is；　in　fact；　occupied　with　itself；　and　not　with　any
object。　Objects　are　not　presented　to　it　to　be　embraced　in　the　unity　of
an　empirical　conception；　it　is　only　the　cognitions　of　the
understanding　that　are　presented　to　it；　for　the　purpose　of　receiving
the　unity　of　a　rational　conception；　that　is；　of　being　connected
according　to　a　principle。　The　unity　of　reason　is　the　unity　of
system；　and　this　systematic　unity　is　not　an　objective　principle；
extending　its　dominion　over　objects；　but　a　subjective　maxim；　extending
its　authority　over　the　empirical　cognition　of　objects。　The
systematic　connection　which　reason　gives　to　the　empirical　employment
of　the　understanding　not　only　advances　the　extension　of　that
employment；　but　ensures　its　correctness；　and　thus　the　principle　of　a
systematic　unity　of　this　nature　is　also　objective；　although　only　in　an
indefinite　respect　（principium　vagum）。　It　is　not；　however；　a
constitutive　principle；　determining　an　object　to　which　it　directly
relates；　it　is　merely　a　regulative　principle　or　maxim；　advancing　and
strengthening　the　empirical　exercise　of　reason；　by　the　opening　up　of
new　paths　of　which　the　understanding　is　ignorant；　while　it　never
conflicts　with　the　laws　of　its　exercise　in　the　sphere　of　experience。
　　But　reason　cannot　cogitate　this　systematic　unity；　without　at　the
same　time　cogitating　an　object　of　the　idea…　an　object　that　cannot　be
presented　in　any　experience；　which　contains　no　concrete　example　of　a
plete　systematic　unity。　This　being　（ens　rationis　ratiocinatae）　is
therefore　a　mere　idea　and　is　not　assumed　to　be　a　thing　which　is　real
absolutely　and　in　itself。　On　the　contrary；　it　forms　merely　the
problematical　foundation　of　the　connection　which　the　mind　introduces
among　the　phenomena　of　the　sensuous　world。　We　look　upon　this
connection；　in　the　light　of　the　above…mentioned　idea；　as　if　it　drew
its　origin　from　the　supposed　being　which　corresponds　to　the　idea。
And　yet　all　we　aim　at　is　the　possession　of　this　idea　as　a　secure
foundation　for　the　systematic　unity　of　experience…　a　unity
indispensable　to　reason；　advantageous　to　the　understanding；　and
promotive　of　the　interests　of　empirical　cognition。
　　We　mistake　the　true　meaning　of　this　idea　when　we　regard　it　as　an
enouncement；　or　even　as　a　hypotheti