the+critique+of+practical+reason-第36部分

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ground　of　this　possibility；　thinking　that　they　had　no　need　for　that
purpose　of　the　existence　of　God。　No　doubt　they　were　so　far　right
that　they　established　the　principle　of　morals　of　itself
independently　of　this　postulate；　from　the　relation　of　reason　only　to
the　will；　and　consequently　made　it　the　supreme　practical　condition
of　the　summum　bonum；　but　it　was　not　therefore　the　whole　condition　of
its　possibility。　The　Epicureans　had　indeed　assumed　as　the　supreme
principle　of　morality　a　wholly　false　one；　namely　that　of　happiness；
and　had　substituted　for　a　law　a　maxim　of　arbitrary　choice　according　to
every　man's　inclination；　they　proceeded；　however；　consistently
enough　in　this；　that　they　degraded　their　summum　bonum　likewise；　just
in　proportion　to　the　meanness　of　their　fundamental　principle；　and
looked　for　no　greater　happiness　than　can　be　attained　by　human　prudence
（including　temperance　and　moderation　of　the　inclinations）；　and　this　as
we　know　would　be　scanty　enough　and　would　be　very　different　according
to　circumstances；　not　to　mention　the　exceptions　that　their　maxims　must
perpetually　admit　and　which　make　them　incapable　of　being　laws。　The
Stoics；　on　the　contrary；　had　chosen　their　supreme　practical
principle　quite　rightly；　making　virtue　the　condition　of　the　summum
bonum；　but　when　they　represented　the　degree　of　virtue　required　by
its　pure　law　as　fully　attainable　in　this　life；　they　not　only
strained　the　moral　powers　of　the　man　whom　they　called　the　wise
beyond　all　the　limits　of　his　nature；　and　assumed　a　thing　that
contradicts　all　our　knowledge　of　men；　but　also　and　principally　they
would　not　allow　the　second　element　of　the　summum　bonum；　namely；
happiness；　to　be　properly　a　special　object　of　human　desire；　but　made
their　wise　man；　like　a　divinity　in　his　consciousness　of　the　excellence
of　his　person；　wholly　independent　of　nature　（as　regards　his　own
contentment）；　they　exposed　him　indeed　to　the　evils　of　life；　but　made
him　not　subject　to　them　（at　the　same　time　representing　him　also　as
free　from　moral　evil）。　They　thus；　in　fact；　left　out　the　second　element
of　the　summum　bonum　namely；　personal　happiness；　placing　it　solely　in
action　and　satisfaction　with　one's　own　personal　worth；　thus
including　it　in　the　consciousness　of　being　morally　minded；　in　which
they　Might　have　been　sufficiently　refuted　by　the　voice　of　their　own
nature。
　　The　doctrine　of　Christianity；*　even　if　we　do　not　yet　consider　it
as　a　religious　doctrine；　gives；　touching　this　point；　a　conception　of
the　summum　bonum　（the　kingdom　of　God）；　which　alone　satisfies　the
strictest　demand　of　practical　reason。　The　moral　law　is　holy
（unyielding）　and　demands　holiness　of　morals；　although　all　the　moral
perfection　to　which　man　can　attain　is　still　only　virtue；　that　is；　a
rightful　disposition　arising　from　respect　for　the　law；　implying
consciousness　of　a　constant　propensity　to　transgression；　or　at　least　a
want　of　purity；　that　is；　a　mixture　of　many　spurious　（not　moral）
motives　of　obedience　to　the　law；　consequently　a　self…esteem　bined
with　humility。　In　respect；　then；　of　the　holiness　which　the　Christian
law　requires；　this　leaves　the　creature　nothing　but　a　progress　in
infinitum；　but　for　that　very　reason　it　justifies　him　in　hoping　for
an　endless　duration　of　his　existence。　The　worth　of　a　character
perfectly　accordant　with　the　moral　law　is　infinite；　since　the　only
restriction　on　all　possible　happiness　in　the　judgement　of　a　wise　and
all　powerful　distributor　of　it　is　the　absence　of　conformity　of
rational　beings　to　their　duty。　But　the　moral　law　of　itself　does　not
promise　any　happiness；　for　according　to　our　conceptions　of　an　order　of
nature　in　general；　this　is　not　necessarily　connected　with　obedience　to
the　law。　Now　Christian　morality　supplies　this　defect　（of　the　second
indispensable　element　of　the　summum　bonum）　by　representing　the　world
in　which　rational　beings　devote　themselves　with　all　their　soul　to
the　moral　law；　as　a　kingdom　of　God；　in　which　nature　and　morality　are
brought　into　a　harmony　foreign　to　each　of　itself；　by　a　holy　Author　who
makes　the　derived　summum　bonum　possible。　Holiness　of　life　is
prescribed　to　them　as　a　rule　even　in　this　life；　while　the　welfare
proportioned　to　it；　namely；　bliss；　is　represented　as　attainable　only
in　an　eternity；　because　the　former　must　always　be　the　pattern　of　their
conduct　in　every　state；　and　progress　towards　it　is　already　possible
and　necessary　in　this　life；　while　the　latter；　under　the　name　of
happiness；　cannot　be　attained　at　all　in　this　world　（so　far　as　our
own　power　is　concerned）；　and　therefore　is　made　simply　an　object　of
hope。　Nevertheless；　the　Christian　principle　of　morality　itself　is
not　theological　（so　as　to　be　heteronomy）；　but　is　autonomy　of　pure
practical　reason；　since　it　does　not　make　the　knowledge　of　God　and
His　will　the　foundation　of　these　laws；　but　only　of　the　attainment　of
the　summum　bonum；　on　condition　of　following　these　laws；　and　it　does
not　even　place　the　proper　spring　of　this　obedience　in　the　desired
results；　but　solely　in　the　conception　of　duty；　as　that　of　which　the
faithful　observance　alone　constitutes　the　worthiness　to　obtain　those
happy　consequences。

　　*It　is　monly　held　that　the　Christian　precept　of　morality　has　no
advantage　in　respect　of　purity　over　the　moral　conceptions　of　the
Stoics；　the　distinction　between　them　is；　however；　very　obvious。　The
Stoic　system　made　the　consciousness　of　strength　of　mind　the　pivot　on
which　all　moral　dispositions　should　turn；　and　although　its　disciples
spoke　of　duties　and　even　defined　them　very　well；　yet　they　placed　the
spring　and　proper　determining　principle　of　the　will　in　an　elevation　of
the　mind　above　the　lower　springs　of　the　senses；　which　owe　their
power　only　to　weakness　of　mind。　With　them　therefore；　virtue　was　a　sort
of　heroism　in　the　wise　man　raising　himself　above　the　animal　nature
of　man；　is　sufficient　for　Himself；　and；　while　he　prescribes　duties
to　others；　is　himself　raised　above　them；　and　is　not　subject　to　any
temptation　to　transgress　the　moral　law。　All　this；　however；　they
could　not　have　done　if　they　had　conceived　this　law　in　all　its　purity
and　strictness；　as　the　precept　of　the　Gospel　does。　When　I　give　the
name　idea　to　a　perfection　to　which　nothing　adequate　can　be　given　in
experience；　it　does　not　follow　that　the　moral　ideas　are　thing
transcendent；　that　is　something　of　which　we　could　not　even　determine
the　concept　adequately；　or　of　which　it　is　uncertain　whether　there　is
any　object　corresponding　to　it　at　all；　as　is　the　case　with　the　ideas
of　speculative　reason；　on　the　contrary；　being　types　of　practical
perfection；　they　serve　as　the　indispensable　rule　of　conduct　and
likewise　as　the　standard　of　parison。　Now　if　I　consider　Christian
morals　on　their　philosophical　side；　then　pared　with　the　ideas　of
the　Greek　schools；　they　would　appear　as　follows：　the　ideas　of　the
Cynics；　the　Epicureans；　the　Stoics；　and　the　Christians　are：　simplicity
of　nature；　prudence；　wisdom；　and　holiness。　In　respect　of　the　way　of
attaining　them；　the　Greek　schools　were　distinguished　from　one
another　thus　that　the　Cynics　only　required　mon　sense；　the　others
the　path　of　science；　but　both　found　the　mere　use　of　natural　powers
sufficient　for　the　purpose。　Christian　morality；　because　its　precept　is
framed　（as　a　moral　precept　must　be）　so　pure　and　unyielding；　takes　from
man　all　confidence　that　be　can　be　fully　adequate　to　it；　at　least　in
this　life；　but　again　sets　it　up　by　enabling　us　to　hope　that　if　we
act　as　well　as　it　is　in　our　power　to　do；　then　what　is　not　in　our　power
will　e　in　to　our　aid　from　another　source；　whether　we　know　how
this　may　be　or　not。　Aristotle　and　Plato　differed　only　as　to　the　origin
of　our　moral　conceptions。

　　In　this　manner；　the　moral　laws　lead　through　the　conception　of　the
summum　bonum　as　the　object　and　final　end　of　pure　practical　reason　to
religion；　that　is；　to　the　recognition　of　all　duties　as　divine
mands；　not　as　sanctions；　that　is　to　say；　arbitrary　ordinances　of
a　foreign　and　contingent　in　themselves；　but　as　essential　laws　of　every
free　will　in　itself；　which；　nevertheless；　must　be　regarded　as　mands
of　the　Supreme　Being；　because　it　is　only　from　a　morally　perfect
（holy　and　good）　and　at　the　same　time　all…powerful　will；　and
consequently　o