Section 6
Original German
§ 6.
Hier ist nun eine große und bewährte Erkenntniß, die schon jetzt von bewundernswürdigem Umfange ist und unbegrenzte Ausbreitung auf die Zukunft verspricht, die durch und durch apodiktische Gewißheit, d. i. absolute Nothwendigkeit, bei sich führt, also auf keinen Erfahrungsgründen beruht, mithin ein reines Product der Vernunft, überdem aber durch und durch synthetisch ist. „Wie ist es nun der menschlichen Vernunft möglich, eine solche Erkenntniß gänzlich a priori zu Stande zu bringen?“ Setzt dieses Vermögen, da es sich nicht auf Erfahrungen fußt, noch fußen kann, nicht irgend einen Erkenntnißgrund a priori voraus, der tief verborgen liegt, der sich aber durch diese seine Wirkungen offenbaren dürfte, wenn man den ersten Anfängen derselben nur fleißig nachspürte?
Musean translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the complete German of the Prolegomena (AA IV 253–383, all §§1–60 and the Appendix), for fidelity, the steps of Kant’s argument, clarity and structure.
§ 6.
Here, then, is a great and proven body of cognition, already admirable in extent and promising boundless expansion in the future. Throughout, it carries apodictic certainty—that is, absolute necessity—and thus rests on no grounds of experience; it is therefore a pure product of reason, yet is also synthetic through and through. “How, then, is it possible for human reason to bring about such cognition wholly a priori?” Since this capacity does not and cannot rest on experiences, does it not presuppose some ground of cognition a priori, lying deeply hidden, which might reveal itself through these effects if only we diligently traced them to their first beginnings?
Plain English translation
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from the same complete German text.
§ 6.
Here we have a great and well-established body of cognition. Its scope is already admirable, and it promises unlimited expansion in the future. Throughout, it carries apodictic certainty—that is, absolute necessity. So it rests on no grounds of experience and is therefore a pure product of reason. Yet it is also synthetic throughout. “How, then, can human reason produce such cognition entirely a priori?” Since this ability does not and cannot rest on experiences, does it not presuppose some deeply hidden a priori ground of cognition? Might that ground reveal itself through these effects, if we carefully traced their earliest beginnings?
About this section
Section 6 is part of Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics by Immanuel Kant. This page sets the German original beside 2 direct-source translations, so any line can be checked against the source. It is section 11 of 72 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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