Causation; Knowledge, Theory of; Philosophy, German; Reason
Before constructing any objective judgement, we compare the conceptions
that are to be placed in the judgement, and observe whether there
exists identity (of many representations in one conception), if a
general judgement is to be constructed, or difference, if a particular;
whether there is agreement when affirmative; and opposition when
negative judgements are to be constructed, and so on. For this reason
we ought to call these conceptions, conceptions of comparison
(conceptus comparationis). But as, when the question is not as to the
logical form, but as to the content of conceptions, that is to say,
whether the things themselves are identical or different, in agreement
or opposition, and so on, the things can have a twofold relation to our
faculty of cognition, to wit, a relation either to sensibility or to
the understanding, and as on this relation depends their relation to
each other, transcendental reflection, that is, the relation of given
representations to one or the other faculty of cognition, can alone
determine this latter relation. Thus we shall not be able to discover
whether the things are identical or different, in agreement or
opposition, etc., from the mere conception of the things by means of
comparison (comparatio), but only by distinguishing the mode of
cognition to which they belong, in other words, by means of
transcendental reflection. We may, therefore, with justice say, that
logical reflection is mere comparison, for in it no account is taken of
the faculty of cognition to which the given conceptions belong, and
they are consequently, as far as regards their origin, to be treated as
homogeneous; while transcendental reflection (which applies to the
objects themselves) contains the ground of the possibility of objective
comparison of representations with each other, and is therefore very
different from the former, because the faculties of cognition to which
they belong are not even the same. Transcendental reflection is a duty
which no one can neglect who wishes to establish an à priori judgement
upon things. We shall now proceed to fulfil this duty, and thereby
throw not a little light on the question as to the determination of the
proper business of the understanding.
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