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Now; the subjective nature of our representations might be of such a

kind that they could be related to objects so as to furnish

knowledge of them; either in regard to their form or matter… in the

former relation by pure perception; in the latter by sensation proper。

In this case; the sense…faculty; as the capacity for receiving

objective representations; would be properly called sense

perception。 But mere mental representation from its subjective

nature cannot; in fact; become a constituent of objective knowledge;

because it contains merely the relation of the representations to

the subject; and includes nothing that can be used for attaining a

knowledge of the object。 In this case; then; this receptivity of the

mind for subjective representations is called feeling。 It includes the

effect of the representations; whether sensible or intellectual;

upon the subject; and it belongs to the sensibility; although the

representation itself may belong to the understanding or the reason。



  The pleasure which is necessarily connected with the activity of

desire; when the representation of the object desired affects the

capacity of feeling; may be called practical pleasure。 And this

designation is applicable whether the pleasure is the cause or the

effect of the desire。 On the other hand; that pleasure which is not

necessarily connected with the desire of an object; and which;

therefore; is not a pleasure in the existence of the object; but is

merely attached to a mental representation alone; may be called

inactive complacency; or mere contemplative pleasure。 The feeling of

this latter kind of pleasure is what is called taste。 Hence; in a

system of practical philosophy; the contemplative pleasure of taste

will not be discussed as an essential constituent conception; but need

only be referred to incidentally or episodically。 But as regards

practical pleasure; it is otherwise。 For the determination of the

activity of the faculty of desire or appetency; which is necessarily

preceded by this pleasure as its cause; is what properly constitutes

desire in the strict sense of the term。 Habitual desire; again;

constitutes inclination; and the connection of pleasure with the

activity of desire; in so far as this connection is judged by the

understanding to be valid according to a general rule holding good

at least for the individual; is what is called interest。 Hence; in

such a case; the practical pleasure is an interest of the

inclination of the individual。 On the other hand; if the pleasure

can only follow a preceding determination of the faculty of desire; it

is an intellectual pleasure; and the interest in the object must be

called a rational interest; for were the interest sensuous; and not

based only upon pure principles of reason; sensation would necessarily

be conjoined with the pleasure; and would thus determine the

activity of the desire。 Where an entirely pure interest of reason must

be assumed; it is not legitimate to introduce into it an interest of

inclination surreptitiously。 However; in order to conform so far

with the common phraseology; we may allow the application of the

term 〃inclination〃 even to that which can only be the object of an

〃intellectual〃 pleasure in the sense of a habitual desire arising from

a pure interest of reason。 But such inclination would have to be

viewed; not as the cause; but as the effect of the rational

interest; and we might call it the non…sensuous or rational

inclination (propensio intellectualis)。 Further; concupiscence is to

be distinguished from the activity of desire itself; as a stimulus

or incitement to its determination。 It is always a sensuous state of

the mind; which does not itself attain to the definiteness of an act

of the power of desire。

  The activity of the faculty of desire may proceed in accordance with

conceptions; and in so far as the principle thus determining it to

action is found in the mind; and not in its object it constitutes a

power acting or not acting according to liking。 In so far as the

activity is accompanied with the consciousness of the power of the

action to produce the object; it forms an act of choice; if this

consciousness is not conjoined with it; the activity is called a wish。

The faculty of desire; in so far as its inner principle of

determination as the ground of its liking or predilection lies in

the reason of the subject; constitutes the will。 The will is therefore

the faculty of active desire or appetency; viewed not so much in

relation to the action… which is the relation of the act of choice… as

rather in relation to the principle that determines the power of

choice to the action。 It has; in itself; properly no special principle

of determination; but in so far as it may determine the voluntary

act of choice; it is the practical reason itself。

  Under the will; taken generally; may be included the volitional

act of choice; and also the mere act of wish; in so far as reason

may determine the faculty of desire in its activity。 The act of choice

that can be determined by pure reason constitutes the act of

free…will。 That act which is determinable only by inclination as a

sensuous impulse or stimulus would be irrational brute choice

(arbitrium brutum)。 The human act of choice; however; as human; is

in fact affected by such impulses or stimuli; but is not determined by

them; and it is; therefore; not pure in itself when taken apart from

the acquired habit of determination by reason。 But it may be

determined to action by the pure will。 The freedom of the act of

volitional choice is its independence of being determined by

sensuous impulses or stimuli。 This forms the negative conception of

the free…will。 The positive conception of freedom is given by the fact

that the will is the capability of pure reason to be practical of

itself。 But this is not possible otherwise than by the maxim of

every action being subjected to the condition of being practicable

as a universal law。 Applied as pure reason to the act of choice; and

considered apart from its objects; it may be regarded as the faculty

of principles; and; in this connection; it is the source of

practical principles。 Hence it is to be viewed as a law…giving

faculty。 But as the material upon which to construct a law is not

furnished to it; it can only make the form of the form of the maxim of

the act of will; in so far as it is available as a universal law;

the supreme law and determining principle of the will。 And as the

maxims; or rules of human action derived from subjective causes; do

not of themselves necessarily agree with those that are objective

and universal; reason can only prescribe this supreme law as an

absolute imperative of prohibition or command。

  The laws of freedom; as distinguished from the laws of nature; are

moral laws。 So far as they refer only to external actions and their

lawfulness; they are called juridical; but if they also require

that; as laws; they shall themselves be the determining principles

of our actions; they are ethical。 The agreement of an action with

juridical laws is its legality; the agreement of an action with

ethical laws is its morality。 The freedom to which the former laws

refer; can only be freedom in external practice; but the freedom to

which the latter laws refer is freedom in the internal as well as

the external exercise of the activity of the will in so far as it is

determined by laws of reason。 So; in theoretical philosophy; it is

said that only the objects of the external senses are in space; but

all the objects both of internal and external sense are in time;

because the representations of both; as being representations; so

far belong all to the internal sense。 In like manner; whether

freedom is viewed in reference to the external or the internal

action of the will; its laws; as pure practical laws of reason for the

free activity of the will generally; must at the same time be inner

principles for its determination; although they may not always be

considered in this relation。





     II。 THE IDEA AND NECESSITY OF A METAPHYSIC OF MORALS。



  It has been shown in The Metaphysical Principles of the Science of

Nature that there must be principles a priori for the natural

science that has to deal with the objects of the external senses。

And it was further shown that it is possible; and even necessary; to

formulate a system of these principles under the name of a

〃metaphysical science of nature;〃 as a preliminary to experimental

physics regarded as natural science applied to particular objects of

experience。 But this latter science; if care be taken to keep its

generalizations free from error; may accept many propositions as

universal on the evidence of experience; although if the term

〃universal〃 be taken in its strict sense; these would necessarily have

to be deduced by the metaphysical science from principles a priori。

Thus Newton accepted the principle of the equ

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