Section 50
Original German
§ 50.
II. Kosmologische Ideen. (Krit. S. 405 u. f.)
Dieses Product der reinen Vernunft in ihrem transscendenten Gebrauch ist das merkwürdigste Phänomen derselben, welches auch unter allen am kräftigsten wirkt, die Philosophie aus ihrem dogmatischen Schlummer zu erwecken und sie zu dem schweren Geschäfte der Kritik der Vernunft selbst zu bewegen.
Ich nenne diese Idee deswegen kosmologisch, weil sie ihr Object jederzeit nur in der Sinnenwelt nimmt, auch keine andere als die, deren Gegenstand ein Object der Sinne ist, braucht, mithin so fern einheimisch und nicht transscendent, folglich bis dahin noch keine Idee ist: dahingegen, die Seele sich als eine einfache Substanz denken, schon so viel heißt, als sich einen Gegenstand denken (das Einfache), dergleichen den Sinnen gar nicht vorgestellt werden können. Demungeachtet erweitert doch die kosmologische Idee die Verknüpfung des Bedingten mit seiner Bedingung (diese mag mathematisch oder dynamisch sein) so sehr, daß Erfahrung ihr niemals gleichkommen kann, und ist also in Ansehung dieses Punkts immer eine Idee, deren Gegenstand niemals adäquat in irgend einer Erfahrung gegeben 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.
§ 50.
II. Cosmological Ideas. (Critique, p. 405 ff.)
This product of pure reason in its transcendent use is its most remarkable phenomenon, and of all phenomena it is the most powerful in awakening philosophy from its dogmatic slumber and moving it to the difficult business of critiquing reason itself.
I call this idea cosmological because it always takes its object only from the world of sense, and needs no idea other than one whose object belongs to the senses. To that extent it is at home, not transcendent, and thus is not yet an idea. By contrast, to think of the soul as a simple substance already means thinking of an object—the simple—the like of which cannot be represented to the senses at all. Nevertheless, the cosmological idea extends the connection of the conditioned with its condition, whether mathematical or dynamical, so far that experience can never equal it; and in this respect it is always an idea whose object can never be adequately given in any experience.
Plain English translation
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from the same complete German text.
§ 50.
II. Cosmological ideas. (Krit. S. 405 u. f.)
This product of pure reason in its transcendent use is reason's most remarkable phenomenon. Of all its phenomena, it also does the most to wake philosophy from its dogmatic sleep and move it to the difficult task of critiquing reason itself.
I call this idea cosmological because it always takes its object only from the world of sense. It needs no idea other than one whose object is an object of the senses. To that extent it stays on familiar ground and is not transcendent, and thus is not yet an idea. By contrast, to think of the soul as a simple substance already means thinking of an object—the simple—of a kind that cannot be presented to the senses at all. Nevertheless, the cosmological idea extends the connection between what is conditioned and its condition, whether mathematical or dynamical, so far that experience can never match it. In this respect, then, it is always an idea whose object can never be adequately given in any experience.
About this section
Section 50 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 58 of 72 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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