the critique of practical reason-第34部分

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erations　by　what　was　done　without　troubling　itself　about　the　motives　for　doing　it。　　　It　cannot　indeed　be　denied　that　in　order　to　bring　an　uncultivated　or　degraded　mind　into　the　track　of　moral　goodness　some　preparatory　guidance　is　necessary；　to　attract　it　by　a　view　of　its　own　advantage；　or　to　alarm　it　by　fear　of　loss；　but　as　soon　as　this　mechanical　work；　these　leading…strings　have　produced　some　effect；　then　we　must　bring　before　the　mind　the　pure　moral　motive；　which；　not　only　because　it　is　the　only　one　that　can　be　the　foundation　of　a　character　（a　practically　consistent　habit　of　mind　with　unchangeable　maxims）；　but　also　because　it　teaches　a　man　to　feel　his　own　dignity；　gives　the　mind　a　power　unexpected　even　by　himself；　to　tear　himself　from　all　sensible　attachments　so　far　as　they　would　fain　have　the　rule；　and　to　find　a　rich　compensation　for　the　sacrifice　he　offers；　in　the　independence　of　his　rational　nature　and　the　greatness　of　soul　to　which　he　sees　that　he　is　destined。　We　will　therefore　show；　by　such　observations　as　every　one　can　make；　that　this　property　of　our　minds；　this　receptivity　for　a　pure　moral　interest；　and　consequently　the　moving　force　of　the　pure　conception　of　virtue；　when　it　is　properly　applied　to　the　human　heart；　is　the　most　powerful　spring　and；　when　a　continued　and　punctual　observance　of　moral　maxims　is　in　question；　the　only　spring　of　good　conduct。　It　must；　however；　be　remembered　that　if　these　observations　only　prove　the　reality　of　such　a　feeling；　but　do　not　show　any　moral　improvement　brought　about　by　it；　this　is　no　argument　against　the　only　method　that　exists　of　making　the　objectively　practical　laws　of　pure　reason　subjectively　practical；　through　the　mere　force　of　the　conception　of　duty；　nor　does　it　prove　that　this　method　is　a　vain　delusion。　For　as　it　has　never　yet　come　into　vogue；　experience　can　say　nothing　of　its　results；　one　can　only　ask　for　proofs　of　the　receptivity　for　such　springs；　and　these　I　will　now　briefly　present；　and　then　sketch　the　method　of　founding　and　cultivating　genuine　moral　dispositions。　　　When　we　attend　to　the　course　of　conversation　in　mixed　companies；　consisting　not　merely　of　learned　persons　and　subtle　reasoners；　but　also　of　men　of　business　or　of　women；　we　observe　that；　besides　story…telling　and　jesting；　another　kind　of　entertainment　finds　a　place　in　them；　namely；　argument；　for　stories；　if　they　are　to　have　novelty　and　interest；　are　soon　exhausted；　and　jesting　is　likely　to　become　insipid。　Now　of　all　argument　there　is　none　in　which　persons　are　more　ready　to　join　who　find　any　other　subtle　discussion　tedious；　none　that　brings　more　liveliness　into　the　company；　than　that　which　concerns　the　moral　worth　of　this　or　that　action　by　which　the　character　of　some　person　is　to　be　made　out。　Persons；　to　whom　in　other　cases　anything　subtle　and　speculative　in　theoretical　questions　is　dry　and　irksome；　presently　join　in　when　the　question　is　to　make　out　the　moral　import　of　a　good　or　bad　action　that　has　been　related；　and　they　display　an　exactness；　a　refinement；　a　subtlety；　in　excogitating　everything　that　can　lessen　the　purity　of　purpose；　and　consequently　the　degree　of　virtue　in　it；　which　we　do　not　expect　from　them　in　any　other　kind　of　speculation。　In　these　criticisms；　persons　who　are　passing　judgement　on　others　often　reveal　their　own　character：　some；　in　exercising　their　judicial　office；　especially　upon　the　dead；　seem　inclined　chiefly　to　defend　the　goodness　that　is　related　of　this　or　that　deed　against　all　injurious　charges　of　insincerity；　and　ultimately　to　defend　the　whole　moral　worth　of　the　person　against　the　reproach　of　dissimulation　and　secret　wickedness；　others；　on　the　contrary；　turn　their　thoughts　more　upon　attacking　this　worth　by　accusation　and　fault　finding。　We　cannot　always；　however；　attribute　to　these　latter　the　intention　of　arguing　away　virtue　altogether　out　of　all　human　examples　in　order　to　make　it　an　empty　name；　often；　on　the　contrary；　it　is　only　well…meant　strictness　in　determining　the　true　moral　import　of　actions　according　to　an　uncompromising　law。　Comparison　with　such　a　law；　instead　of　with　examples；　lowers　self…conceit　in　moral　matters　very　much；　and　not　merely　teaches　humility；　but　makes　every　one　feel　it　when　he　examines　himself　closely。　Nevertheless；　we　can　for　the　most　part　observe；　in　those　who　defend　the　purity　of　purpose　in　giving　examples　that　where　there　is　the　presumption　of　uprightness　they　are　anxious　to　remove　even　the　least　spot；　lest；　if　all　examples　had　their　truthfulness　disputed；　and　if　the　purity　of　all　human　virtue　were　denied；　it　might　in　the　end　be　regarded　as　a　mere　phantom；　and　so　all　effort　to　attain　it　be　made　light　of　as　vain　affectation　and　delusive　conceit。　　　I　do　not　know　why　the　educators　of　youth　have　not　long　since　made　use　of　this　propensity　of　reason　to　enter　with　pleasure　upon　the　most　subtle　examination　of　the　practical　questions　that　are　thrown　up；　and　why　they　have　not；　after　first　laying　the　foundation　of　a　purely　moral　catechism；　searched　through　the　biographies　of　ancient　and　modern　times　with　the　view　of　having　at　hand　instances　of　the　duties　laid　down；　in　which；　especially　by　comparison　of　similar　actions　under　different　circumstances；　they　might　exercise　the　critical　judgement　of　their　scholars　in　remarking　their　greater　or　less　moral　significance。　This　is　a　thing　in　which　they　would　find　that　even　early　youth；　which　is　still　unripe　for　speculation　of　other　kinds；　would　soon　Become　very　acute　and　not　a　little　interested；　because　it　feels　the　progress　of　its　faculty　of　judgement；　and；　what　is　most　important；　they　could　hope　with　confidence　that　the　frequent　practice　of　knowing　and　approving　good　conduct　in　all　its　purity；　and　on　the　other　hand　of　remarking　with　regret　or　contempt　the　least　deviation　from　it；　although　it　may　be　pursued　only　as　a　sport　in　which　children　may　compete　with　one　another；　yet　will　leave　a　lasting　impression　of　esteem　on　the　one　hand　and　disgust　on　the　other；　and　so；　by　the　mere　habit　of　looking　on　such　actions　as　deserving　approval　or　blame；　a　good　foundation　would　be　laid　for　uprightness　in　the　future　course　of　life。　Only　I　wish　they　would　spare　them　the　example　of　so…called　noble　（supermeritorious）　actions；　in　which　our　sentimental　books　so　much　abound；　and　would　refer　all　to　duty　merely；　and　to　the　worth　that　a　man　can　and　must　give　himself　in　his　own　eyes　by　the　consciousness　of　not　having　transgressed　it；　since　whatever　runs　up　into　empty　wishes　and　longings　after　inaccessible　perfection　produces　mere　heroes　of　romance；　who；　while　they　pique　themselves　on　their　feeling　for　transcendent　greatness；　release　themselves　in　return　from　the　observance　of　common　and　every…day　obligations；　which　then　seem　to　them　petty　and　insignificant。*

　　*It　is　quite　proper　to　extol　actions　that　display　a　great；　unselfish；　sympathizing　mind　or　humanity。　But；　in　this　case；　we　must　fix　attention　not　so　much　on　the　elevation　of　soul；　which　is　very　fleeting　and　transitory；　as　on　the　subjection　of　the　heart　to　duty；　from　which　a　more　enduring　impression　may　be　expected；　because　this　implies　principle　（whereas　the　former　only　implies　ebullitions）。　One　need　only　reflect　a　little　and　he　will　always　find　a　debt　that　he　has　by　some　means　incurred　towards　the　human　race　（even　if　it　were　only　this；　by　the　inequality　of　men　in　the　civil　constitution；　enjoys　advantages　on　account　of　which　others　must　be　the　more　in　want）；　which　will　prevent　the　thought　of　duty　from　being　repressed　by　the　self…complacent　imagination　of　merit。

　　But　if　it　is　asked：　〃What；　then；　is　really　pure　morality；　by　which　as　a　touchstone　we　must　test　the　moral　significance　of　every　action；〃　then　I　must　admit　that　it　is　only　philosophers　that　can　make　the　decision　of　this　question　doubtful；　for　to　common　sense　it　has　been　decided　long　ago；　not　indeed　by　abstract　general　formulae；　but　by　habitual　use；　like　the　distinction　between　the　right　and　left　hand。　We　will　then　point　out　the　criterion　of　pure　virtue　in　an　example　first；　and；　imagining　that　it　is　set　before　a　boy；　of　say　ten　years　old；　for　his　judgement；　we　will　see　whether　he　would　necessarily　judge　so　of　himself　without　being　guided　by　his　teacher。　Tell　him　the　history　of　an　honest　man　whom　men　want　to　persuade　to　join　the　calumniators　of　an　innocent　and　powerless　person　（say　Anne　Boleyn；　accused　by　Henry　VIII　of　England）。　He　is　offered　advantages；　great　gifts；　or　high　rank；　he　rejects　them。　This　will　excite　mere　approbation　and　applause　in　the　mind　of　the　hearer。　Now　begins　the　threatening　of　loss。　Amongst　these　traducers　are　his　best　friends；　who　now　renounce　his　friendship；　near　kinsfolk；　who　threaten　to　disinherit　him　（he　being　without　fortune）；　powerful　persons；　who　can　persecute　and　harass　him　in　all　places　and　circumstances；　a　prince；　who　threatens　him　with　loss　of　freedom；　yea；　loss　of　life。　Then　to　fill　the　measure　of　suffering；　and　that　he　may　feel　the　pain　that　only　the　morally　good　heart　can　feel　very　deeply；　let　us　conceive　his　family　threatened　with　extreme　distress　and　want；　entreating　him　to　yield；　conceive　himself；　though　upright；　yet　with　feelings　not　hard　or　insensible　either　to　compassion　or　to　his　own　distress；　conceive　him；　I　say；　at　the　moment　when　he　wishes　that　he　had　never　lived　to　see　the　day　that　exposed　him　to　such　unutterable　anguish；　yet　remaining　true　to　his　uprightness　of　purpose；　without　wavering　or　even　doubting；　then　will　my　youthful　hearer　be　raised　gradually　from　mere　approval　to　admiration；　from　that　to　amazement；　and　finally　to　the　greatest　veneration；　and　a　lively　wish　that　be　himself　could　be　such　a　man　（though　certainly　not　in　such　circumstances）。　Yet　virtue　is　here　worth　so　much　only　because　it　costs　so　much；　not　because　it　brings　any　profit。　All　the　admiration；　and　even　the　endeavour　to　resemble　this　character；　rest　wholly　on　the　purity　of　the　moral　principle；　which　can　only　be　strikingly　shown　by　removing　from　the　springs　of　action　everything　that　men　may　regard　as　part　of　happiness。　Morality；　then；　must　have　the　more　power　over　the　human　heart　the　more　purely　it　is　exhibited。　Whence　it　follows　that；　if　the　law　of　morality　and　the　image　of　holiness　and　virtue　are　to　exercise　any　influence　at　all　on　our　souls；　they　can　do　so　only　so　far　as　they　are　laid　to　heart　in　their　purity　as　motives；　unmixed　with　any　vi