215 
PHILOSOPHY. 
and indeed becaufe they contain the abfolnte totality in 
the fynthefis of the objefls of the intuition which confti- 
tute the world. They are quite different from the Idea 
of Rational Pf'ychology, as well as from that to which the 
disjnnSlive profyllogifm leads. For although the profyllo- 
giim always begins with a given conditioned, yet its idea 
in the hypothetical fynthefis is of this particular kind, 
that, as it feeks the totality of a feries of conditions, the 
unconditioned muft either be the higheft link of this 
feries, or the feries itfelf. If does not therefore, in either 
cafe, quit the fphere of the objedls of Intuition. Although 
this unconditioned itfelf can never become an obje< 5 l of 
experience, it conceals therefore a contradiction. The 
unconditioned of the categorical fynthefis (the foul as fub- 
itaiice) is, on the other hand, no objedi of Intuition; and 
as little is it the being of all beings, or that thing to 
which the Idea of the fphere of all pofifibility is referred. 
Now in the fame manneras this Paralogifm of pure ReaJ’on 
endeavoured to found a rational Pfychology, fo does 
Reafon endeavour to eftablifh a rational Cofmology, by 
afcending to thofe cofmological ideas, and referring them 
to objedfs. 
System of Cosmological Ideas. 
By the Categories the variety of the empirical intuition 
is necefiarily connected ; that is, an objedi is thought in 
the intuition. This fynthetical and objective unity of 
confcionfnefs, which carries with it the reprefentation of 
the conditioned, is that which occafions reafon to feek an 
abfolutely unconditioned. The tranjcendental Ideas we 
have now to reprefent will therefore be the Categories 
extended to the unconditioned. In thinking an objedi by 
the Categories, there is already implied a reference to a 
condition as to an objedt likewife given in the intuition. 
If this objedi is thought by the very fame Categories, it 
is iikewife reprefented as conditioned, and its condition is 
an objedt of intuition. If in this way the abfolutely 
unconditioned is to be attained, it muft be found in the 
phenomena; and indeed qither in the laft link of this feries, 
or in the feries itfelf. It would therefore be an objedi of 
intuition, in conceiving which by the Categories, the 
conception of its condition could not be found. Now, in 
order to enumeratecompletely, and in a fyfternatical con¬ 
nexion, the Cofmological Ideas, nothing more will be ne¬ 
ceffary than to treat of thofe Categories by which an 
objedt is thought as conditioned, and whofe condition is 
thought by the very fame Category j and then to extend 
them fo far as to refer them to an objedi which in every 
refpedl is unconditioned. But it has been already men¬ 
tioned that Reafon only feeks the totality of the feries 
with regard to the conditions. For, as to the defcending 
feries, with refpedl to the conditioned, it is already founded 
by fome condition, whether it be finite or infinite. We 
call the fynthefis of a feries, on the fide of the conditions, 
regreffive ; but on that which proceeds on the fide of the 
conditioned from confequence to con'equence, the pro- 
greffive. The former proceeds by antecedence, the latter 
by confequence. The cofmological ideas therefore contain 
the abfolute totality of the conditions of the objedlive 
unity of a given objedi, and confequently refer to the 
completenefs of the regrefiive fynthefis. With refpedl to 
the feries in conjequentia, we may at pleafure think its 
completenefs. Reafon does not require it, becaufe it has 
in general only to render it comprehenfible, and this, 
with regard to the confequences, is already found in each 
given condition. 
i he application of the Category of Quantity to the 
phenomena is fltown in the principle that all intuitions are 
extenfve quantities, which is therefore corredl, becaufe 
objedts cannot be otherwife given to us but in Time. and 
Space, both of which, however, the fynthefis of an homo¬ 
geneous variety, that is, the conception of Quantity, 
brings to our confcioufnefs. In tliefe two quantities we 
find the before-mentioned requifites for the Cofmological 
Ideas. For as to Time, the prefent time is conditioned by 
3 
the preceding, fince we can only arrive at the prefent 
after the lapfe of the preceding time, and muft even think 
this again by the Conception of Quantity. Here then is 
poffible a progrefs to the abfolute unconditioned ; and it 
is elTentially different from the progrefs in covfeqnent'iu , 
fince the whole elapfed time is thought abfolutely com¬ 
plete as the condition of the given inftant, but future 
time is not thought fo for any purpofe. As to Space, the 
progrefs is not different itfelf from the regrejs ; but, if we 
confider that the fynthefis of/pace is fucceflive, and there¬ 
fore occurs in time, we fee that every given (pace prefup- 
pofes a greater one, and that we can only arrive by the 
fynthefis of all the intermediate fpaces to the more remote 
parts. Every definite fpace /herefore is confidered as 
conditioned by the parts adjoining it on all fides; thefe 
again as conditioned by their adjoining fpaces, which are 
likewife thought by tile conception of Quantity. Here 
then is required as before, according to the idea of Reafon, 
totality of the conditions for the neceffary unity of Un- 
derllanding by which a definite fpace is thought as an 
objedt. 
Every objedi of Intuition is again thought by the Cate¬ 
gory of Reality. Now, with regard to objedts in fpace, 
the real is always conditioned, its condition are its parts , 
and the parts of parts are the more remote conditions, 
which are again thought by the conception of Reality. 
Here therefore alfo a regreffive fynthefis takes place, whofe 
abfolute totality reafon demands, which can only be in a 
complete divifion, that either leads to fimple parts ot 
Matter, or to inrinitely-many given parts. 
As to the Categories of Relation ; that of theSub- 
ftance to its accidents leads to no cofmological Idea; for 
the accident in the intuition is conditioned by the fibfiance 
in the intuition. This condition is not however thought 
by the fame conception by which the conditioned is 
thought, namely, by the conception of the accident. In 
the fignification, therefore, in which the accident is confi¬ 
dered as conditioned, the fubftance is not fo confidered. 
The conception of the fubfantial, however, as of the fub¬ 
ftance, in as far as we abftradt from all its accidents, is an 
arbitrary conception, which cannot be placed as the con¬ 
dition of the fubftance, fince without accidents itdoes not 
exilt. Nor does the conception of Concurrence lead to 
any tranjcendental Idea, and indeed, as before explained, 
becaufe the condition is not thought by the fame concep¬ 
tion by which the conditioned is thought. The condi¬ 
tions are here again fubflances, and certain accidents of 
the one fubftance are, as effedts of the other, the condi¬ 
tioned., Of the Categories of Relation, therefore, that of 
Cavfality only remains, which admits a regrejs of condi¬ 
tions. For every Event has aCaufe; but the caufality 
of the caufe is alfo an event, and renders again the pre- 
fuppofition of a Caufe neceffary. Reafon, which with 
regard to this hypothetical fynthefis requires abfolute com¬ 
pletenefs, feeks it either in the idea of an abfolutely firft 
caufe, which confequently preftippofes no prior caufe, or in 
the infinite and entirely-given feries itfelf. The Catego¬ 
ries of Modality concern the exiftence of the phenomena. 
Now, in fo far as this is confidered as contingent, it is 
thought as conditioned, but the condition again as con¬ 
tingent. There is confequently in this refpect a regreffive 
fynthe/is, whofe abfolute totality Reafon thinks by the 
unconditioned neceftity of exiftence. There cannot 
therefore be any more than the following four Cofmolo¬ 
gical Ideas: 
i. The abfolute completenefs of the compofition of the 
given whole of phenomena. 
a. The abfolute completenefs of the divifion of a given 
whole of phenomena. 
3. The abfolute completenefs of the arifing of a phenome¬ 
non. 
4. The abfolute completenefs of the dependence of the 
exiftence of the changeable in the phenomenon. 
Thefe Ideas refer to the unconditioned, which reafon 
thinks as the highell condition of the objective unity of 
the 
