ficulties in the way of its ad- causality. Who compelled you mitting this kind of uncondi- to imagine an absolutely priThat ele- mal condition of the world,

tioned causality. ment in the question of the and therewith an absolute befreedom of the will, which ginning of the gradually prohas for so long a time placed gressing successions of phænospeculative reason in such mena-and, as some foundaperplexity, is properly only tion for this fancy of yours, transcendental, and concerns to set bounds to unlimited the question, whether there nature? Inasmuch as the

or

must be held to exist a fa- substances in the world have culty of spontaneous origi- always existed-at least the nation of a series of successive unity of experience renders things or states. How such a such a supposition quite necesfaculty is possible, is not a sary-there is no difficulty in necessary inquiry; for in the believing also, that the changes. case of natural causality it- in the conditions of these subself, we are obliged to content stances have always existed; ourselves with the a priori and, consequently, that a first knowledge that such a causa- beginning, mathematical lity must be presupposed, al- dynamical, is by no means rethough we are quite incapable quired. The possibility of of comprehending how the such an infinite derivation, being of one thing is possible without any initial member through the being of another, from which all the others but must for this information result, is certainly quite inlook entirely to experience. comprehensible. But if you Now we have demonstrated are rash enough to deny the this necessity of a free first enigmatical secrets of nature beginning of a series of phæ- for this reason, you will nomena, only in so far as it find yourselves obliged to is required for the compre- deny also the existence of hension of an origin of the many fundamental properties world, all following states of natural objects (such as being regarded as a succession fundamental forces), which according to laws of nature you can just as little comprealone. But, as there has thus hend; and even the possibeen proved the existence of bility of so simple a concepa faculty which can of itself tion as that of change must originate a series in time-al- present to you insuperable dif

did not teach you that it was real, you never could conceive à priori the possibility of this ceaseless sequence of being and non-being.

though we are unable to ex- ficulties. For if experience plain how it can exist we feel ourselves authorised to admit, even in the midst of the natural course of events, a beginning, as regards causality, of different successions of pha- But if the existence of a nomena, and at the same time transcendental faculty of freeto attribute to all substances dom is granted-a faculty of a faculty of free action. But originating changes in the we ought in this case not to world-this faculty must at allow ourselves to fall into least exist out of and apart a common misunderstanding, from the world; although it and to suppose that, because is certainly a bold assumpa successive series in the tion, that, over and above the world can only have a compara- complete content of all postively first beginning-another sible intuitions, there stil state or condition of things exists an object which cannot always preceding-an abso- be presented in any possible lutely first beginning of a series perception. But, to attribute in the course of nature is im- to substances in the world itpossible. For we are not self such a faculty, is quite speaking here of an absolutely inadmissible; for, in this case, first beginning in relation to the connection of phænomena time, but as regards causality reciprocally determining and alone. When, for example, I, determined according to genecompletely of my own free ral laws, which is termed nawill, and independently of the ture, and along with it the necessarily determinative in- criteria of empirical truth, fluence of natural causes, rise which enable us to distinguish from my chair, there com- experience from mere visionary mences with this event, includ- dreaming, would almost ening its material consequences tirely disappear. In proxiin infinitum, an absolutely new mity with such a lawless faseries; although, in relation to culty of freedom, a system of time, this event is merely the nature is hardly cogitable; continuation of a preceding for the laws of the latter would series. For this resolution be continually subject to the and act of mine do not form intrusive influences of the part of the succession of effects former, and the course of

Antithesis.

Thesis. in nature, and are not mere phænomena, which would othercontinuations of it; on the wise proceed regularly and unicontrary, the determining formly, would become therecauses of nature cease to ope- by confused and disconnected. rate in reference to this event,

which certainly succeeds the acts of nature, but does not proceed from them. For these reasons, the action of a free agent must be termed, in regard to causality, if not in relation to time, an absolutely primal beginning of a series of phænomena.

The justification of this need of reason to rest upon a free act as the first beginning of the series of natural causes, is evident from the fact, that all philosophers of antiquity (with the exception of the Epicurean school) felt themselves obliged, when constructing a theory of the motions of the universe, to accept a prime mover, that is, a freely acting cause, which spontaneously and prior to all other causes evolved this series of states. They always felt the need of going beyond mere nature, for the purpose of making a first beginning comprehensible.

ANTINOMY OF PURE REASON.

FOURTH CONFLICT OF THE TRANSCENDENTAL IDE S.

Thesis.

Antithesis.

There exists either in, or in An absolutely necessary being connection with the world—does not exist, either in the world, or out of it—as its cause.

either as a part of it, or as the cause of it-an absolutely necessary being.

PROOF.

PROOF.

Grant that either the world itself is necessary, or that there The world of sense, as the is contained in it a necessary sum-total of all phænomena, existence. Two cases are poscontains a series of changes. sible. First, there must either For, without such a series, the be in the series of cosmical mental representation of the changes a beginning, which is series of time itself, as the con- unconditionally necessary, and dition of the possibility of the therefore uncaused-which is sensuous world, could not be at variance with the dynamical presented to us.* But every law of the determination of all change stands under its con- phænomena in time; or sedition, which precedes it in condly, the series itself is withtime and renders it neces- out beginning, and, although sary. Now the existence of a contingent and conditioned in given conditions presuppose a all its parts, is nevertheless complete series of conditions absolutely necessary and unup to the absolutely uncon- conditioned as a whole-which ditioned, which alone is ab- is self-contradictory. For the solutely necessary. It fol- existence of an aggregate can

lows that something that is absolutely necessary must exist, if change exists as its consequence. But this necessary

not be necessary, if no single part of it possesses necessary existence.

Grant on the other hand, that an absolutely necessary cause exists out of and apart from the world. This cause,

* Objectively, time, as the formal condition of the possibility of change, precedes all changes; but subjectively, and in consciousness, the representa- as the highest member in the tion of time, like every other, is given series of the causes of cosmical solely by occasion of perception. changes, must originate or be

thing itself belongs to the gin* the existence of the latter sensuous world. For suppose and their series. In this case it to exist out of and apart it must also begin to act, and from it, the series of cosmical its causality would therefore changes would receive from it belong to time, and consea beginning, and yet this ne- quently to the sum-total of cessary cause would not itself phænomena, that is, to the belong to the world of sense. | world. It follows that the But this is impossible. For, as cause cannot be out of the the beginning of a series in world; which is contradictory time is determined only by that to the hypothesis. Therefore, which precedes it in time, the neither in the world, nor out supreme condition of the be- of it (but in causal_connecginning of a series of changes tion with it), does there exmust exist in the time in which ist any absolutely necessary this series itself did not exist; being. for a beginning supposes a time preceding, in which the thing that begins to be was not in existence. The causality of the necessary cause of changes, and consequently the cause itself, must for these reasons belong to time—and to phænomena, time being possible only as the form of phænomena. Consequently, it cannot be cogitated as separated from ployed in any other than a neuter the world of sense,- -the sumsense, as in Plautus, "Infit me percontarier." The second significatotal of all phænomena. There tion of begin (anfangen) we should is, therefore, contained in the rather term neuter.-Tr. world, something that is absolutely necessary-whether it he the whole cosmical series itself, or only a part of it.

*The word begin is taken in two senses. The first is active—the cause being regarded as beginning a series of conditions as its effect (infit).† The second is passive-the causality in the cause itself beginning to operate (fit). I reason here from the

first to the second.

It may be doubted whether there is any passage to be found in the Latin Classics where infit is em