Section 45
Original German
§ 45.
Vorläufige Bemerkungzur Dialektik der reinen Vernunft.
Wir haben oben, Paragraph 33, 34, gezeigt, daß die Reinigkeit der Kategorien von aller Beimischung sinnlicher Bestimmungen die Vernunft verleiten könne, ihren Gebrauch gänzlich über alle Erfahrung hinaus, auf Dinge an sich selbst auszudehnen, wiewohl, da sie selbst keine Anschauung finden, welche ihnen Bedeutung und Sinn in concreto verschaffen könnte, sie als blos logische Functionen zwar ein Ding überhaupt vorstellen, aber für sich allein keinen bestimmten Begriff von irgend einem Dinge geben können. Dergleichen hyperbolische Objecte sind nun die, so man Noumena oder reine Verstandeswesen (besser Gedankenwesen) nennt, als z. B. Substanz, welche aber ohne Beharrlichkeit in der Zeit gedacht wird, oder eine Ursache, die aber nicht in der Zeit wirkte, u. s. w.; da man ihnen denn Prädicate beilegt, die blos dazu dienen, die Gesetzmäßigkeit der Erfahrung möglich zu machen, und gleichwohl alle Bedingungen der Anschauung, unter denen allein Erfahrung möglich ist, von ihnen wegnimmt, wodurch jene Begriffe wiederum alle Bedeutung verlieren.
Es hat aber keine Gefahr, daß der Verstand von selbst, ohne durch fremde Gesetze gedrungen zu sein, über seine Grenzen so ganz muthwillig in das Feld von bloßen Gedankenwesen ausschweifen werde. Wenn aber die Vernunft, die mit keinem Erfahrungsgebrauche der Verstandesregeln, als der immer noch bedingt ist, völlig befriedigt sein kann, Vollendung dieser Kette von Bedingungen fordert, so wird der Verstand aus seinem Kreise getrieben, um theils Gegenstände der Erfahrung in einer so weit erstreckten Reihe vorzustellen, dergleichen gar keine Erfahrung fassen kann, theils sogar (um sie zu vollenden) gänzlich außerhalb derselben Noumena zu suchen, an welche sie jene Kette knüpfen und dadurch von Erfahrungsbedingungen endlich einmal unabhängig, ihre Haltung gleichwohl vollständig machen könne. Das sind nun die transscendentalen Ideen, welche, sie mögen nun nach dem wahren, aber verborgenen Zwecke der Naturbestimmung unserer Vernunft nicht auf überschwengliche Begriffe, sondern blos auf unbegrenzte Erweiterung des Erfahrungsgebrauchs angelegt sein, dennoch durch einen unvermeidlichen Schein dem Verstande einen transscendenten Gebrauch ablocken, der, obzwar betrüglich, dennoch durch keinen Vorsatz innerhalb der Grenzen der Erfahrung zu bleiben, sondern nur durch wissenschaftliche Belehrung und mit Mühe in Schranken gebracht werden kann.
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.
§ 45.
Preliminary Remarkon the Dialectic of Pure Reason.
We have shown above, in §§ 33 and 34, that the categories' purity from any admixture of sensible determinations can tempt reason to extend their use entirely beyond all experience, to things in themselves. Yet because the categories themselves find no intuition that could give them meaning and sense in concreto, they can, as merely logical functions, represent a thing in general, but cannot by themselves supply a determinate concept of any thing. Such extravagant objects are what are called noumena, or pure beings of the understanding (better: beings of thought): for example, substance thought without permanence in time, or a cause that acted outside time, and so on. We thus attribute predicates to them that serve only to make the lawfulness of experience possible, while removing from them all the conditions of intuition under which alone experience is possible; as a result, those concepts once again lose all meaning.
There is, however, no danger that the understanding, of its own accord and without being driven by laws foreign to it, will stray so wantonly beyond its bounds into the field of mere beings of thought. But when reason, which cannot be fully satisfied with any experiential use of the understanding's rules because that use is always still conditioned, demands the completion of this chain of conditions, the understanding is driven beyond its own sphere. It is driven partly to represent objects of experience in a series so extended that no experience can encompass it, and partly even, in order to complete that series, to seek noumena entirely outside experience. To these reason may attach that chain and so at last become independent of the conditions of experience, while still making the chain's support complete. These, then, are the transcendental ideas. Although the true but hidden purpose of our reason's natural constitution may have designed them not for extravagant concepts, but solely for an unlimited extension of the use of experience, they nevertheless, through an unavoidable illusion, entice the understanding into a transcendent use. Deceptive though this use is, it can be restrained not by any resolve to stay within the bounds of experience, but only by scientific instruction, and with difficulty.
Plain English translation
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from the same complete German text.
§ 45.
Preliminary remarkon the dialectic of pure reason.
We showed above, in sections 33 and 34, that the categories' freedom from any sensory determinations can tempt reason to extend their use entirely beyond all experience, to things in themselves. Yet the categories cannot find any intuition that could give them concrete meaning and sense. As mere logical functions, they do represent a thing in general. But by themselves they cannot provide a determinate concept of any thing. Objects of this exaggerated kind are what people call noumena, or beings of the pure understanding—better, beings of thought. Examples are a substance thought of without persistence in time, or a cause that does not act in time, and other such objects. We assign them predicates that serve only to make the law-governed character of experience possible. At the same time, we remove from them all the conditions of intuition under which alone experience is possible. This makes those concepts lose all meaning again.
There is no danger, however, that the understanding will stray so recklessly beyond its limits into the field of mere beings of thought on its own, without being driven by laws foreign to it. But reason can never be fully satisfied with using the understanding's rules in experience, since that use is always still conditioned. When reason demands that this chain of conditions be completed, the understanding is driven out of its own domain. It must partly represent objects of experience in a series extending so far that no experience can encompass it. It must even, to complete the series, search for noumena entirely outside experience. Reason could attach the chain to these and thus finally give it complete support, independent of conditions of experience. These are the transcendental ideas. The true but hidden purpose of our reason's natural constitution may intend them not for concepts that go beyond all experience, but only for extending its use in experience without limit. Even so, through an unavoidable illusion, they lure the understanding into a transcendent use. Although deceptive, this use cannot be restrained merely by resolving to stay within the limits of experience. It takes scientific instruction, and considerable effort, to keep it within bounds.
About this section
Section 45 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 53 of 72 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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