193 METAPHYSICS. 
[As under the word Kant, in vol. xi. we gave an outline of the fyllem of that pliilofopher, with a promife t» 
open it more fully to our readers under the articles Logic and Metaphysics ; it now only remains to complete the 
futyedt by laying before them the following article (juft a’s vve received it) from the fame contributor.] 
METAPHYSICS 
Reduced to a Complete and Permanent SCIENCE, 
On the Principles of TRANSCENDENTAL PHILOSOPHY, 
As contained in Kant’s “ Critic of Pure Reason.” 
^Metaphysics is that fcience which treats of objedls 
that are inacceftible to the fenfes ; in contradiftin&ion to 
Physics, which precifely comprehend all objedts that can 
in any way manifeft themfelves to the fenfes. The former 
is derived from the Greek words ps.ro., above, and (pvamx, 
natural; while the latter originates from the tingle word 
Qvo-mcc, natural. 
Physics take into confideration all bodies in Time 
and Space, together with their properties and the effedts 
produced by them on each other, which includes motion, 
adtion, and readiion. Metaphysics take into con¬ 
fideration all objedfs that a re ju per fen ft h le , or that are out 
of the fphere of Time and Space, but yet obtrude them¬ 
felves on the Human Mind : for inftance, the Soul, the 
Deity, a future State, Religion and Morality, and indeed 
■all objedts about which human Reason is converfant, 
but which never can addrefs the fenfes. 
INTRODUCTION. 
Every Man is born a Metaphysician. For who is 
there, that at fome ferious moment has not reflected upon 
bis moral duties, the nature of his own foul, his ultimate 
deftination, a future ftate, and the Deity. But, as thefe 
are objedfs which completely tranfeend experience, and 
which Metaphyfics alone inveftigates, it is clear that who¬ 
ever engages in fuch contemplations is at once immerfed 
in the very depth of Metaphyfics. 
It is in vain that naturaf philofophy is appealed to for 
information on thefe fubjedts. This fcience is ftridtly 
confined to Time and Space. 
But human Reafon, ever reftlefs, will not be fatisfied 
until it has pufhed its arguments to that point where 
alone ultimate fatisfadfion can be obtained ; that is, to 
their apodifiical certainty. Hence the invincible neceffity 
of Metaphysics. Here, and here alone, human reafon 
finds repofe. It is this fcience which treats of the more 
important part of our Nature; namely, the rational part, 
and that, in fuch a manner that we are no lefs compelled 
to admit its arguments than we are thofe of the Mathe¬ 
matics. Indeed thofe two tciences do not differ in the 
ftrength of their arguments, but merely in the nature of 
their proofs ; the former producing ahfolute Conviction, 
while die latter is fufceptible of Demonjiration only. 
But what are the Metaphyfics I here allude to ? Not thofe 
barbarifms which have for the laft two thoufand years gone 
by that name. No, I mean an Abjolutely Complete Science, 
which future ages can neither detradf from, nor add to ; 
I mean that fcience which the great and immortal Kant 
has left us as a lafting monument to his fame— Tranfcen- 
dcntal Philofophy. 
This fcience difplays the Human Mind in all its mi- 
nuteft ramifications, and thus exhibits the greatnefs and 
goodnefs of Godin a marvellous manner. In this fcience 
>ve find that the only firm ground qn which true Morality 
can Hand is Human Reason, ifolated and detached from 
every thing in experience, and indeed only upon that which 
the great founder of the fcience terms Practical Rea¬ 
son. The Morality that emanates from this centre, may 
indeed be called a Cehjiial Morality, as it is divefted of 
every thing earthly, and free from the influence of all 
.objects in Time and Space. 
The important queftion concerning the freedom of the' 
human will could never be fatisfaftorily anfwered, until 
the difeovery of this fublime fcience. For how could the 
contending parties ever expert their doubts and difficul¬ 
ties to be removed, until the Philosophy of Mind had 
proceeded far enough to ereft itfelf into a complete- 
fcience, by the difeovery of the determinate funftions of 
the three Primitive and Original Faculties, Reason, Un¬ 
derstanding, and Sense. Till this was done, it never 
could be conceived that the artions of any individual 
could be uninfluenced by the phenomena in Time and 
Space ; or that any individual could be out of the fphere 
of Time and Space ; and this without contradicting the, 
laws of Nature. 
But whoever has contemplated his own foul with atten¬ 
tion, muft have been very loon convinced that it did not. 
refide among the Phenomena of Nature. This fublime 
Philofophy makes man occupy two ftations at once, with¬ 
out the leaft contradiction. When contemplated by the 
Senfes , he is a being of fenfe, or a Phenomenon ; when 
viewed by Reafon, he is confidered as an intelligence, or 
a being totally free from time and fpdee, that is, out of 
Nature, or an Efficient Caufe. Here are now to be met 
with, in Idea, pure incorporeal fouls in a ftate of commu¬ 
nication with each other ; and which, while they aCt con¬ 
formably to the laws of Pure Practical Reason, form 
a Kingdom of Ends in themfelves. Every Rational Being 
muft aCt as if he were always by his maxims a Legillative 
member of this univerfal Kingdom of Ends; that is, with 
regard to all laics of nature, free ; obedient to no other 
laws but thofe which he impoles upon himlelf by his own 
Practical Reason. The chief principle of Morality 
therefore is: Act in such a manner, that the maxim 
OF THY ACTION BE FIT FOR A UNIVERSAL LAW. Now 
this law we impofe upon ourfelves by virtue of our Prac¬ 
tical Reafon, which completely feparates us from the field 
of natural objeCts, and conveys us in Idea into another 
and a higher fphere, which is totally free from Time and 
Space ; in other words, to the fphere of Reason, where, 
though exempted from the laws of Nature, we are by no 
means in a lawlels ftate, but in a ftate fubjert to much 
higher laws, the laws of Reason. Hence the feat and 
origin of all our Ideas of Morality is to be found in Rea¬ 
son alone ; and this even in the Reafon of the molt un¬ 
cultivated individual, as well as in him who has exercifed 
his Reafon to the higheft degree. But, as all this evi¬ 
dently tranfeends natural philofophy, the only fcience 
wherein thefe fubjerts are fully treated is Metaphyfics; 
and, as thefe moral Ideas are coeval with the human Mind, 
fo all’o are the elements of the Science of Metaphyfics, 
which treats of them ; and hence is the pofition fully 
eftablifhed, that Every Man is born a Metaphysician ! 
Reafon is the author of its own Principles; and the 
only lpring of ail moral actions is reverence for the Law, 
which we impofe upon ourfelves by virtue of our Prac¬ 
tical Reason. It is no wonderthat all former attempts 
to difcover the true Principles of Morality failed ; for it 
never occurred to any one prior to Kant, that Man was 
only lubjedtcd to the laws of his own Free Will, and 
that by himfelf, But, as an intelligence, Man exifts out 
of Time and Space , and confequentiy cannot be arted 
.z- npoii. 
