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internal experience; that is; I have really the representation of time
and of my determinations therein。 Time; therefore; is not to be
regarded as an object; but as the mode of representation of myself
as an object。 But if I could intuite myself; or be intuited by another
being; without this condition of sensibility; then those very
determinations which we now represent to ourselves as changes; would
present to us a knowledge in which the representation of time; and
consequently of change; would not appear。 The empirical reality of
time; therefore; remains; as the condition of all our experience。
But absolute reality; according to what has been said above; cannot be
granted it。 Time is nothing but the form of our internal intuition。*
If we take away from it the special condition of our sensibility;
the conception of time also vanishes; and it inheres not in the
objects themselves; but solely in the subject (or mind) which intuites
them。
*I can indeed say 〃my representations follow one another; or are
successive〃; but this means only that we are conscious of them as in a
succession; that is; according to the form of the internal sense。
Time; therefore; is not a thing in itself; nor is it any objective
determination pertaining to; or inherent in things。
But the reason why this objection is so unanimously brought
against our doctrine of time; and that too by disputants who cannot
start any intelligible arguments against the doctrine of the
ideality of space; is this… they have no hope of demonstrating
apodeictically the absolute reality of space; because the doctrine
of idealism is against them; according to which the reality of
external objects is not capable of any strict proof。 On the other
hand; the reality of the object of our internal sense (that is; myself
and my internal state) is clear immediately through consciousness。 The
former… external objects in space… might be a mere delusion; but the
latter… the object of my internal perception… is undeniably real。 They
do not; however; reflect that both; without question of their
reality as representations; belong only to the genus phenomenon; which
has always two aspects; the one; the object considered as a thing in
itself; without regard to the mode of intuiting it; and the nature
of which remains for this very reason problematical; the other; the
form of our intuition of the object; which must be sought not in the
object as a thing in itself; but in the subject to which it appears…
which form of intuition nevertheless belongs really and necessarily to
the phenomenal object。
Time and space are; therefore; two sources of knowledge; from which;
a priori; various synthetical cognitions can be drawn。 Of this we find
a striking example in the cognitions of space and its relations; which
form the foundation of pure mathematics。 They are the two pure forms
of all intuitions; and thereby make synthetical propositions a
priori possible。 But these sources of knowledge being merely
conditions of our sensibility; do therefore; and as such; strictly
determine their own range and purpose; in that they do not and
cannot present objects as things in themselves; but are applicable
to them solely in so far as they are considered as sensuous phenomena。
The sphere of phenomena is the only sphere of their validity; and if
we venture out of this; no further objective use can be made of
them。 For the rest; this formal reality of time and space leaves the
validity of our empirical knowledge unshaken; for our certainty in
that respect is equally firm; whether these forms necessarily inhere
in the things themselves; or only in our intuitions of them。 On the
other hand; those who maintain the absolute reality of time and space;
whether as essentially subsisting; or only inhering; as modifications;
in things; must find themselves at utter variance with the
principles of experience itself。 For; if they decide for the first
view; and make space and time into substances; this being the side
taken by mathematical natural philosophers; they must admit two
self…subsisting nonentities; infinite and eternal; which exist (yet
without there being anything real) for the purpose of containing in
themselves everything that is real。 If they adopt the second view of
inherence; which is preferred by some metaphysical natural
philosophers; and regard space and time as relations (contiguity in
space or succession in time); abstracted from experience; though
represented confusedly in this state of separation; they find
themselves in that case necessitated to deny the validity of
mathematical doctrines a priori in reference to real things (for
example; in space)… at all events their apodeictic certainty。 For such
certainty cannot be found in an a posteriori proposition; and the
conceptions a priori of space and time are; according to this opinion;
mere creations of the imagination; having their source really in
experience; inasmuch as; out of relations abstracted from
experience; imagination has made up something which contains;
indeed; general statements of these relations; yet of which no
application can be made without the restrictions attached thereto by
nature。 The former of these parties gains this advantage; that they
keep the sphere of phenomena free for mathematical science。 On the
other hand; these very conditions (space and time) embarrass them
greatly; when the understanding endeavours to pass the limits of
that sphere。 The latter has; indeed; this advantage; that the
representations of space and time do not e in their way when they
wish to judge of objects; not as phenomena; but merely in their
relation to the understanding。 Devoid; however; of a true and
objectively valid a priori intuition; they can neither furnish any
basis for the possibility of mathematical cognitions a priori; nor
bring the propositions of experience into necessary accordance with
those of mathematics。 In our theory of the true nature of these two
original forms of the sensibility; both difficulties are surmounted。
In conclusion; that transcendental aesthetic cannot contain any more
than these two elements… space and time; is sufficiently obvious
from the fact that all other conceptions appertaining to
sensibility; even that of motion; which unites in itself both
elements; presuppose something empirical。 Motion; for example;
presupposes the perception of something movable。 But space
considered in itself contains nothing movable; consequently motion
must be something which is found in space only through experience…
in other words; an empirical datum。 In like manner; transcendental
aesthetic cannot number the conception of change among its data a
priori; for time itself does not change; but only something which is
in time。 To acquire the conception of change; therefore; the
perception of some existing object and of the succession of its
determinations; in one word; experience; is necessary。
SS 9 General Remarks on Transcendental Aesthetic。
I。 In order to prevent any misunderstanding; it will be requisite;
in the first place; to recapitulate; as clearly as possible; what
our opinion is with respect to the fundament