Section 11
Original German
§ 11.
Die Aufgabe des gegenwärtigen Abschnitts ist also aufgelöset. Reine Mathematik ist als synthetische Erkenntniß a priori nur dadurch möglich, daß sie auf keine andere als bloße Gegenstände der Sinne geht, deren empirischer Anschauung eine reine Anschauung (des Raums und der Zeit) und zwar a priori zum Grunde liegt und darum zum Grunde liegen kann, weil diese nichts anders als die bloße Form der Sinnlichkeit ist, welche vor der wirklichen Erscheinung der Gegenstände vorhergeht, indem sie dieselbe in der That allererst möglich macht. Doch betrifft dieses Vermögen, a priori anzuschauen, nicht die Materie der Erscheinung, d. i. das, was in ihr Empfindung ist, denn diese macht das Empirische aus, sondern nur die Form derselben, Raum und Zeit. Wollte man im mindesten daran zweifeln, daß beide gar keine den Dingen an sich selbst, sondern nur bloße ihrem Verhältnisse zur Sinnlichkeit anhängende Bestimmungen sind, so möchte ich gerne wissen, wie man es möglich finden kann, a priori und also vor aller Bekanntschaft mit den Dingen, ehe sie nämlich uns gegeben sind, zu wissen, wie ihre Anschauung beschaffen sein müsse, welches doch hier der Fall mit Raum und Zeit ist. Dieses ist aber ganz begreiflich, so bald beide für nichts weiter als formale Bedingungen unserer Sinnlichkeit, die Gegenstände aber blos für Erscheinungen gelten; denn alsdann kann die Form der Erscheinung, d. i. die reine Anschauung, allerdings aus uns selbst, d. i. a priori, vorgestellt werden.
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.
§ 11.
The problem of the present division is therefore solved. Pure mathematics is possible as synthetic cognition a priori only because it concerns no objects other than mere objects of the senses, whose empirical intuition is grounded a priori in a pure intuition—of space and time. This intuition can underlie it because it is nothing but the mere form of sensibility, which precedes the actual appearance of objects by first making that appearance possible. Yet this capacity to intuit a priori concerns not the matter of appearance—that is, what in it is sensation, for this constitutes the empirical—but only its form, space and time. If anyone wished to doubt in the slightest that these are determinations attaching not at all to things in themselves, but merely to their relation to sensibility, I should like to know how he can find it possible to know a priori, and thus before all acquaintance with things, before they are given to us, what their intuition must be like—as is the case here with space and time. But this is entirely comprehensible as soon as the two are taken to be nothing more than formal conditions of our sensibility, and the objects merely appearances. For then the form of appearance, that is, pure intuition, can indeed be represented from ourselves, that is, a priori.
Plain English translation
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from the same complete German text.
§ 11.
The problem of this part has therefore been solved. Pure mathematics is possible as synthetic a priori cognition only because it concerns nothing but objects of the senses. A pure intuition of space and time underlies the empirical intuition of these objects, and does so a priori. It can underlie that intuition because it is nothing but the mere form of sensibility, which precedes the objects' actual appearance and in fact first makes it possible. But this ability to intuit a priori does not concern the matter of appearance, that is, what is sensation in it, since that constitutes the empirical element. It concerns only the form of appearance: space and time. If anyone wanted to doubt in the slightest that space and time are not determinations belonging to things in themselves, but merely determinations belonging to their relation to sensibility, I would like to know how that person could find the following possible: to know a priori, and therefore before any acquaintance with things, before they are given to us, what the intuition of them must be like. Yet that is the case here with space and time. It is entirely understandable, however, as soon as the two are taken to be nothing more than formal conditions of our sensibility, and objects to be mere appearances. For then the form of appearance, that is, pure intuition, can certainly be represented from ourselves, that is, a priori.
About this section
Section 11 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 16 of 72 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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