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meaning。 And so it is with all conceptions without distinction。
The possibility of experience is; then; that which gives objective
reality to all our a priori cognitions。 Now experience depends upon
the synthetical unity of phenomena; that is; upon a synthesis
according to conceptions of the object of phenomena in general; a
synthesis without which experience never could bee knowledge; but
would be merely a rhapsody of perceptions; never fitting together into
any connected text; according to rules of a thoroughly united
(possible) consciousness; and therefore never subjected to the
transcendental and necessary unity of apperception。 Experience has
therefore for a foundation; a priori principles of its form; that is
to say; general rules of unity in the synthesis of phenomena; the
objective reality of which rules; as necessary conditions even of
the possibility of experience can which rules; as necessary
conditions… even of the possibility of experience… can always be shown
in experience。 But apart from this relation; a priori synthetical
propositions are absolutely impossible; because they have no third
term; that is; no pure object; in which the synthetical unity can
exhibit the objective reality of its conceptions。
Although; then; respecting space; or the forms which productive
imagination describes therein; we do cognize much a priori in
synthetical judgements; and are really in no need of experience for
this purpose; such knowledge would nevertheless amount to nothing
but a busy trifling with a mere chimera; were not space to be
considered as the condition of the phenomena which constitute the
material of external experience。 Hence those pure synthetical
judgements do relate; though but mediately; to possible experience; or
rather to the possibility of experience; and upon that alone is
founded the objective validity of their synthesis。
While then; on the one hand; experience; as empirical synthesis;
is the only possible mode of cognition which gives reality to all
other synthesis; on the other hand; this latter synthesis; as
cognition a priori; possesses truth; that is; accordance with its
object; only in so far as it contains nothing more than what is
necessary to the synthetical unity of experience。
Accordingly; the supreme principle of all synthetical judgements is:
〃Every object is subject to the necessary conditions of the
synthetical unity of the manifold of intuition in a possible
experience。〃
A priori synthetical judgements are possible when we apply the
formal conditions of the a priori intuition; the synthesis of the
imagination; and the necessary unity of that synthesis in a
transcendental apperception; to a possible cognition of experience;
and say: 〃The conditions of the possibility of experience in general
are at the same time conditions of the possibility of the objects of
experience; and have; for that reason; objective validity in an a
priori synthetical judgement。〃
SECTION III。 Systematic Representation of all Synthetical
Principles of the Pure Understanding。
That principles exist at all is to be ascribed solely to the pure
understanding; which is not only the faculty of rules in regard to
that which happens; but is even the source of principles according
to which everything that can be presented to us as an object is
necessarily subject to rules; because without such rules we never
could attain to cognition of an object。 Even the laws of nature; if
they are contemplated as principles of the empirical use of the
understanding; possess also a characteristic of necessity; and we
may therefore at least expect them to be determined upon grounds which
are valid a priori and antecedent to all experience。 But all laws of
nature; without distinction; are subject to higher principles of the
understanding; inasmuch as the former are merely applications of the
latter to particular cases of experience。 These higher principles
alone therefore give the conception; which contains the necessary
condition; and; as it were; the exponent of a rule; experience; on the
other hand; gives the case which es under the rule。
There is no danger of our mistaking merely empirical principles
for principles of the pure understanding; or conversely; for the
character of necessity; according to conceptions which distinguish the
latter; and the absence of this in every empirical proposition; how
extensively valid soever it may be; is a perfect safeguard against
confounding them。 There are; however; pure principles a priori;
which nevertheless I should not ascribe to the pure understanding… for
this reason; that they are not derived from pure conceptions; but
(although by the mediation of the understanding) from pure intuitions。
But understanding is the faculty of conceptions。 Such principles
mathematical science possesses; but their application to experience;
consequently their objective validity; nay the possibility of such a
priori synthetical cognitions (the deduction thereof) rests entirely
upon the pure understanding。
On this account; I shall not reckon among my principles those of
mathematics; though I shall include those upon the possibility and
objective validity a priori; of principles of the mathematical
science; which; consequently; are to be looked upon as the principle
of these; and which proceed from conceptions to intuition; and not
from intuition to conceptions。
In the application of the pure conceptions of the understanding to
possible experience; the employment of their synthesis is either
mathematical or dynamical; for it is directed partly on the
intuition alone; partly on the existence of a phenomenon。 But the a
priori conditions of intuition are in relation to a possible
experience absolutely necessary; those of the existence of objects
of a possible empirical intuition are in themselves contingent。
Hence the principles of the mathematical use of the categories will
possess a character of absolute necessity; that is; will be
apodeictic; those; on the other hand; of the dynamical use; the
character of an a priori necessity indeed; but only under the
condition of empirical thought in