}ACUI:

IIRRIIA
THITRUTH
ll PAIlTIlC
IaD5a!CU D]
Ccoff BcnnIngton
and Ian NcLcod
Thc LnivcrsityoI Chicago Prcss
Chicago and London
. Thc Parcrgon
cconomizc on
thcabyss. not onIy savconcscIIIrom IaIIing into thc bottomIcss
dcthsbywcavingandIoIdingbackthccIothtoinhnity, tcxtuaI
art oI thc rcrisc, muItiIication oI atchcs within atchcs, but
aIsocstabIishthcIawsoIrcaroriation,IormaIizcthcIcswhich
constrain thc Iogic oI thc abyss and which shuttIc bctwccn thc
cconomic anJ thc ancconomic, thc raising Ia rcIcvc| anJ thc
IaII, thcabyssaIocrationwhichcanonIyworktowardthcrcIcvc
anJthat initwhichrcguIarIy rcroduccs coIIasc
what thcnis thc ob} cctoIthcthird Crrquc! Thccritiquc
oIurcthcorcticaIrcasonassumcsthccxcIusionAusschIcssungj
oIaII thatisnotthcorcticaI knowIcdgc. thcaIIcct Gc:hIjinits
tworinciaIvaIucs Icasurc/unIcasurc|andthcowcrtodcsirc
cgchrungsvcrmgcnj . Itcuts outits hcIdonIy bycuttingitscII
oIIIrom thcintcrcstsoIdcsirc, byIosingintcrcstindcsirc. from
tcmomcntthatundcrstandingaIonccangivc constitutivcrin
. Ic!cvc, trom thc vcrb rcIcvcr to stand Q agaIn, to raIsc, to rc
!Icvcl, Is a!soLcrrIda's trans!atIon otHcgc!'sAuJhcbung.
l

Thc Truth In PoIntIng
ciIcs to knowIcdgc, thc cxcIusionbcars simuItancousIy on rca
sonwhichtransgrcsscsthcIimitsoIossibIcknowIcdgcoInaturc.
Mow thc a ror rinciIcs oI rcason, aIthoughrcguIativc with
rcgard to thcIacuItyoIknowing, arc constitutivcwithrcgardto
thc IacuIty oI dcsiring. Thc critiquc oI urc thcorcticaI rcason
thuscxcIudcsbothrcasonanJdcsirc,dcsirc'srcasonandrcason' s
dcsirc, thcdcsircIorrcason.
Whatisitabout, atbottom` Thc bottom.
Thcundcrstanding andrcasonarcnot two disconncctcdIac
uItics, thcyarcarticuIatcdinaccrtaintaskandaccrtainnumbcr
oIocrationswhichinvoIvc,rcciscIy, articuIation,i. c. , discoursc.
for bctwccn thc two IacuItics, an articuIatcd mcmbcr, a third
IacuIty comcs intoIay. This intcrmcdiary mcmbcrwhich Kant
namcsrcciscIyMrrcIgIcJ,middIcarticuIation,is}udgmcnt Ur
rcIj . utwhatwiIIbcthc naturc oIthcaror rinciIcs oIthc
middIcarticuIation` WiIIthcy bcconstitutivcor rcguIativc` Oo
thcy givc a ror ruIcs to Icasurc andunIcasurc` What is at
stakcinthisqucstioncanbcmcasurcdbythcIactthatrcguIativc
rinciIcs wouId not aIIow thc dcmarcation oI arocrJoman
cgcncs Gcbcrj .
Sincc thc MrrcIgIcJ aIso Iorms thc articuIation oIthc thc
orcticaIandthcracticaI in thcKantianscnsc|, wc arcIunging
into a Iacc that isncrhcr thcorcticaInorracticaI or cIsc borh
thcorcticaIanJracticaI.Art ingcncraI |, orrathcrthcbcautiIuI,
iI it takcs Iacc, is inscribcd hcrc. ut this hcrc, this Iacc is
announccdasaIaccdcrivcdoIIacc.Itrunsthcrisk,intaking
Iacc, oI not having its own rocr domain. ut this docs not
dcrivc it, IoraII that, oI }urisdiction andIoundation. what has
nodomain Gcbcrj orhcId FcIJj oIitsown,nohcIdoIob} ccts'
dchning its domain,' can havc a tcrritory' and a ground'
oJcnj osscssinga rocrIcgaIity' nrroJucron, III| .
Thc MrrcIgIcJ, intcrmcdiary mcmbcr, must i n cIIcct bc
trcatcd asa scarabIc art, a articuIar art aIs cn bcsonJcrcr
1hcIj . ut aIso as a nonarticuIar, nondctachabIc art, sincc it
Iorms thc articuIation bctwccn two othcrs, onc can cvcn say,
anticiatingHcgcI, anoriginaryart Ur-rcIj . Itisindccdaqucs
tion oI}udgmcnt. Thc samc aragrah rccaIIs that a critiquc oI
urc rcason, i. c. , oI our IacuIty oI}udging according to a ror
rinciIcs, wouId bc incomIctc' unvoIIsranJgj iI a thcory oI
}udgmcnt, oI thc MrrcIgIcJ, did not Iorm a articuIarart' oI
it.utimmcdiatcIyaItcr, inthcIoIIowingscntcncc,thatinaurc
hiIosohythcrinciIcsoI}udgmcntwouIdnotIormaJcrachcJ
Pancncc
\ 9
art,bctwccnthcthcorcticaIartandthcracticaIart,butcouId
bc arrachcJ anncxcJ angcschIosscnj to cach oI thc two. Kant
thus sccms tomcan two contradictory things at thc samc timc.
that itis ncccssarytodiscngagcthcmiddIcmcmbcrasa dctach
abIc art, ocratc thc artition oI thc art, but aIso that it is
ncccssary to rcmcmbcr thc whoIc byrcIormingthcncxus, thc
conncction,thcrcanncxationoIthcarttothctwoma}orcoIumns
oI thc corus. LctusnotIorgctthatitishcrca qucstion oI}udg
mcnt UrrcIj ,oIthcIunctionoIthccouIa. docsitIay ascarabIc
roIc, its own art, or docs it work in thc orchcstra oI rcason, in
thc conccrtoIthcracticaI and thc thcorcticaI`
Lct us Iook morc cIoscIy at this aragrah in thc rcIacc to
thc third Crrquc. It docs not invoIvc any contradiction. Thc
scaration oI thc art is not rcscribcd and Iorbiddcn Irom thc
samcointoIvicw.WithinacritiqucoIurcrcason,oIourIacuIty
oI }udging according to a ror rinciIcs, thc art must bc dc-
tachcd and cxamincd scaratcIy. ut in a urc hiIosohy, in a
systcm oI urc hiIosohy,' cvcrything must bc scwn back to-
gcthcr. Thc critiqucdctachcsbccausc itisitscIIonIya momcnt
and a art oI thc systcm. It isin thc critiqucthat, rcciscIy, thc
criticaI suscnsionisroduccd, thckrncn, thc inbctwccn, thc
qucstionoIknowingwhcthcrthcthcoryoI}udgmcntisthcorcticaI
or racticaI, and whcthcr it is thcn rcIcrrcd to a rcguIatory or
constitutivcinstancc.utthcsystcmoIurchiIosohywIhavc
haJ ro incIudc thc criticaI withinitscII, and construct a gcncraI
discourscwhichwiIIgctthcbcttcroIthcdctachabIc andaccount
Ior it. This systcm oIurc hiIosohy iswhat Kant caIIsmcra
hyscs. ItisnotyctossibIc. OnIythccritiquccanhavcarogram
that iscurrcntIyossibIc.
ThcqucstionoIdcsirc,oIIcasurcandoIunIcasurcisthus
aIsothc qucstionoIaJcrachmcnr ncithcrthcwordnorthccon
cctacarsassuchinthcCrrqucj whichwiIIitscIIbcsccihcd,
dismcmbcrcd or rcmcmbcrcd. JcachmcOrscaration oI a
mcmbcr, JcrOchmcnrdcIcgation oI a rcrcscntativc, sign or
symboI onassignmcnt thcbcautiIuIassymboIoImoraIity, rob
Icms oI thc hyotyosis, oI thc tracc Surj, oI cihcrscrit'
Ch}}rcschr}rj, oI thc intcrmittcntsign Wnkj , scc Ior cxamIc
aragrahs' and y| , Jcrachmcnrdisintcrcstcd attitudc ascs-
scncc oIacsthctic cxcricncc.
InordcrtocxrcssthcrcIationshibctwccnthctwoossibIcs
thcnowossibIcoIthccritiqucandthcIuturcossibIcoImcta-
hysics , Kantrooscsanothcrmctahor.Hcborrowsit,aIrcady,
|
4
o Thc Truth In PoIntIng
Irom art, which has not yct bccn discusscd, Irom thc tcchniquc
oI architccturc, architcctonics. thc urc hiIosohcr, thc mcta
hysician, wiIIhavcto ocratcIkc a good architcct, Iikc a good
rckhnrcs oI cdihcation. Hc wiII bc a sort oI artist. Mow what
docs a goodarchitcctdo, accordingto Kant` Hcmust hrst oIaII
bc ccrtainoIthcground, thcIoundation, thcIundamcnt. ACri-
tiquc oI urc rcason, i. c. , oI our IacuIty oI }udging on a ror
rinciIcs, wouId bc incomIctc iI thc criticaI cxamination oI
}udgmcnt, which is a IacuIty oI knowIcdgc, and, as such, Iays
cIaim toindccndcntrinciIcs, wcrcnot dcaIt with scaratcIy.
StiII, howcvcr, its rinciIcs cannot, in a systcm oIurc hiIos
ohy, Iormascaratcconstitucntartintcrmcdiatcbctwccnthc
thcorcticaI and racticaI divisions, but may whcn nccdIuI m
Norh}aIIcj bcanncxcd angcschIosscnjtooncorothcrasoccasion
rcquircs gcIcgcnrIchj . foriI sucha systcm is somcdayworkcd
out zu ranJckommcnj undcrthcgcncraI namc oIMctahysic
. . . , thcn thc criticaI cxamination oI thcgroundIor this cdihcc
musthavcbccnrcviousIycarricddowntothcvcrydcthsoIthc
Ioundations GrunJIagcj oIthcIacuItyoIrinciIcs indccndcnt
oI cxcricncc, Icst in somc quartcr an rgcnJ cncm 1hcIcj it
might givc way coIIasc, snkcj, and, sinking, incvitabIy bring
withitthcruin Ensrurzj oIaII' Mcrcdith, || .
Thc rocr instancc oIthc critiquc. thc architcct oIrcason
scarchcs, robcs, rcarcs thc ground. In scarch oI thc bcdrock,
thcuItimatcGrunJonwhichtoraiscthcwhoIcoImctahysics.
utaIsoinscarchoIroots,oIthccommonrootwhichthcndividcs
in thchcnomcnaI Iight, andwhichncvcritscIIyicIdsu tocx
cricncc. Thus thc critiquc as such attcmts to dcsccnd to thc
byrhos, tothc borrom oIthcabyss, withoutknowingwhcthcrit
cxists.
It is stiII too carIy to intcrrogatc thc gcncraI Iunctioning oI
mctahorandanaIogyin thc third Crrquc. This Iunctioningis
crhas not simIyrccctcd by thc thcory which, in thc book,
bothincIudcs itandIungcsintoits abyss.
Wc havc }ust cncountcrcd thc hrst mctahor'. bcginning
oI thc rcIacc \orrcJcj . Mow at thc cnd oI thc introduction
which IoIIows EnIcrungj, and as iI to Iramc thc whoIc roIc
gomcnon, wiII bc thc mctahor oI thc artihciaI work sccuring
thc assagc ovcr thc naturaI guII, thc bridgc r:ckcj ro} cctcd
ovcr thc grcat abyss grossc KIu}rj . PhiIosohy, which in this
book has to think art throughart in gcncraI and hnc artas
a art oI its hcId or oI its cdihcc, is hcrc rcrcscnrng rscI} as
f
Pancnccr
+
r
a art oI its art. hiIosohy as an art oI architccturc. It rc-
rcscnts itscII, it Jcrachcs rscIj, dctachcs Irom itscII a roxy, a
art oIitscIIbcsidcitscIIin ordcr to think thc whoIc, to saturatc
or hcaI ovcr thc whoIc that suIIcrs Irom dctachmcnt. Thc hi-
IosohyoIart rcsuoscs an art oIhiIosohizing, a ma}orart,
but aIso a mincr's art in itscriticaIrcIiminarics, an architcct's
art in its cdiIying crcction. And iI, as wiII bc said Iurthcr on,
hnc art is aIways an art oI gcnius, thcn thcAnrhrooIogyjrom
rhc Pragmarc Ponr oj \cw wouId Ior rcIcrcncc dcIcgatc a
Ccrman to thc ost oIcritiquc. thc Ccrman gcnius shows itscII
bcst on thc sidc oI thc root, thcItaIianon that oI thc crownoI
Icavcs, thcfrcnchonthat oIthc owcr and thcEngIishon that
oIthcIruit.finaIIy, iIthisurchiIosohyorIundamcntaImcta
hysicshcrcrooscstoaccountIor, amongothcrthings, dcsirc,
Icasurc and unIcasurc, it cxoscs itscII and rcrcscnts itscII
hrst oI aII in its own dcsirc Thc dcsirc oI rcason wouId bc a
IundamcntaI dcsirc, a dcsirc Ior thc IundamcntaI, a dcsirc to go
to thc byrhos. Mot an cmiricaI dcsirc sincc it Icads toward thc
unconditioncd, and that which yicIds itscII u in thc currcncy
oI a dctcrminatc mctahor ought, as a mctahor oI rcason, to
account Ior rcnJrc rason Jc| aII othcr mctahors. It wouId
hgurcthcbcingdcsircoIdcsirc,thcdcsircoI/Iorrcasonasdcsirc
Ior a groundcd structurc. EdiIying dcsirc wouId bcroduccd as
an art oI hiIosohizing, commanding aII thc othcrs and ac-
counting Ior rcnJanr rason Jc| aII rhctoric.
CrcatdiIhcuItics'arisc. AthcoryoI}udgmcntasMrrcIgIcJ
mustbcconstructcd.utthcrcwiIIbcgrcatdiIhcuItics'grossc
SchwcrkcrcnjinhndingIor}udgmcntarorrinciIcswhich
arcrocr toitandwhichwouIdrotcct thcthcoryIrom cmir-
icism. Onc canhnd aror conccts onIyinthcundcrstanding.
Thc IacuIty oI }udgmcnt uscs thcm, itaIics thcm, but it docs
not havc at its disosaI any conccts which bcIong to it or arc
sccihcaIIyrcscrvcdIorit.ThconIyconcctwhichitcanroducc
is an cmty concct, in a scnsc, and onc which docs not givc
anything to bc known. y it, nothing is rocrIy known.' It
suIics a ruIc' oI usagc which comriscs no ob} cctivity, no
rcIation to thc ob} cct, no knowIcdgc. Thc ruIc is sub} cctivc, thc
IacuItyoI}udgmcntgivcsitscIIitsownnorms, anditmustdoso,
IaiIingwhichitwouIdbcncccssary tocaIIuonanothcrIacuIty
orarbitration,aJnnrum.AndyctthissubjccrvcruIcisaIicd
to }udgmcnts, to tatcmcnts which by thir strutur ay cIai
O nivcsaI ob} ctiiy

'
4
z Thc Ttuth In PoIntng
Such wouId bc thc diIhcuIty, thc constraint, thc conIusion,
th \crIcgcnhcr. It sccms toconhrmaccrtainHcgcIianandsub
scqucntIy Hcidcggcrian vcrdict this discoursc on thc bcautiIuI
andonart,bccauscitrcmainsatthcstagcoIathcoryoI}udgmcnt,
gctstangIcduinthcdcrivcdoositionoIsub} cctandob} cct.
OIthcbcautiIuIandoIartithasnotyctbccnqucstion.Moth
ing, u to this oint, suggcstcd that it shouId bc a qucstion oI
thcsc. AndnowhcrcisKantdccIaringthatthis grcat diIhcuIty'
ojrncIc sub}cctivcorob}cctivc|, isIound' nJcr schj,that
it is mct with rinciaIIy' haurschIchj in thc }udgmcnts
which arc caIIcd acsthctic.' Thcsc couId havc constitutcd an
cxamIc, howcvcr imortant, a ma}or occurrcncc oI thc diIh
cuIty.' ut in truth itisthcrinciaIcxamIc, thcuniqucscc
imcn which givcs mcaning andoricnts thcmuItiIicity. Thc cx
amination oI this cxamIc, namcIy thc acsthctic domain, Iorms
thc choicc morscI, thc most imortant iccc' Jas wchrgsrc
Srckj oIthc critiquc oI thcIacuIty oI}udgmcnt. AIthough thcy
bringnorhngtoknowIcdgc, acsthctic }udgmcnts, insoIarasthcy
arc}udgmcnts, comcundcrthcIacuItyoIknowingaIonc,aIacuIty
whichthcyutinrcIationwithIcasurcorunIcasurc according
toanarorrinciIc.ThisrcIationshioIknowIcdgctoIcasurc
rcvcaIs itscII hcrc in its urity sincc thcrc is nothing to know,
but such isrcciscIythc cnigma, thccnigmatic JsRrscIhajrcj
atthchcartoI}udgmcnt. Itiswhya scciaI scction' bcsonJcrc
AbrcIungj,aarticuIardivision,acutoutscctor,a dctachcdart,
Iorm thc ob} cctoI thcthird Crrquc
OncmustnotcxcctIromitwhatinrinciIcitdocsnot,in
its dccIarcd intcntion, romisc. This critiquc oI tastc docs not
conccmroduction, ithasinvicwncithcrcducation'norcuI
turc,'whichcanvcrywcIIdowithoutit.AndasthcCrrqucwiII
showthatonc cannotassignconcctuaIruIcstothcbcautiIuI, it
wiIInotbcaqucstionoIconstitutinganacsrhcrc, cvcnagcncraI
onc, but oI anaIyzing thc IormaI conditions oI ossibiIity oI an
acsthctic }udgmcnt in gcncraI, hcncc oI an acsthctic ob} cctivity
ingcncraI.
WiththistransccndcntaIaim, Kantdcmandstobcrcadwith
outinduIgcncc.utIorthcrcst,hcadmitsthcIacks,thcIacunary
charactcrMangcIhajrgkcrj oIhis work. This is thc wordHcgcI
uscs too.
What docsthc Iack dccnd on` What Iack is it`
And what iIitwcrcthcIramc. What iIthcIacklormcd thc
Iramc oIthc thcory. Motits accidcnt but its Iramc. Morc or Icss
Pancnccr
+
stiII. what iI thc Iack wcrc not onIy thc Iack oI a thcory oI thc
Iramc but thcIaccoIthc Iack in a thcory oI thcIramc.
Edgc rcrc/Iack
Thc Iacunary charactcr' oI his work, according to Kant at
Icast, hangsonthcIactthatnaturchasmuddIcdu, comIicatcd,
tangIcd u vcrwckcIrj thc robIcms. Thc author's cxcuscs arc
Iimitcd to thc hrst art oI thcwork, tothc critiquc oI acsthctic
}udgmcnt, and not to thc critiquc oI tcIcoIogicaI } udgmcnt. It is
onIyinthchrstartthatthcdcductionwiIInothavcthccIarity
and distinctncss DcurIchkcrj which onc wouId, howcvcr, bc
cntitIcdtocxcctIroma knowIcdgc through conccts. AItcrdc-
Ioringthatnaturchasmixcduthcthrcads,atthcmomcntwhcn
hc is hnishing his criticaI work Hcmr cnJgc ch Iso mcn
gnzcskrrschcsGcschajrj,admittingthcIacunacandro}ccting
abridgcovcrthcabyssoIthcothcrtwocritiqucs, KantscaksoI
his agc. Hcmustgaintimc, not Ict thc dcIay accumuIatc, hurry
ontoward thc doctrinc.
It's aboutIcasurc. About thinkingurc
Icasurc thc bcingIcasurc oI Icasurc. Starting out Irom Ica
surc, itwasIor Icasurc that thcthird Crrqucwaswrittcn, Ior
IcasurcthatitshouIdbcrcad.AsomcwhataridIcasurcwith
outconcctandwithoutcn}oymcntasomcwhat strictIcasurc,
butoncIcarns onccmorc thatthcrcisnoIcasurcwithout stric
turc In Ictting myscII bc guidcd by Icasurc I rccognizc and si
muItancousIyutastrayanin}unction.IjoIIowr }c csuis| . thc
cnigma oIIcasurc uts thcwhoIc book in movcmcnt. I scJucc
r } ccsduis| . intrcatingthcthird Crrqucas aworkoIartor
abcautiIuI ob}cct, whichitwas not simIy dcsigncd tobc, I act
asiI thc cxsrcncc oIthcbookwcrcindiIIcrcnt to mc which, as
Kant cxIains, isa rcquircmcnt oIany acsthctic cxcricncc| and
couIdbc considcrcdwith an imcrturbabIc dctachmcnt.
utwhatis thc cxistcncc oI a book`
I. I joIIowr. ThcossibiIityoIIcasurcisrhcqucstion.Ocm
nstration. thc hrst twoaragrahs oIthc firstmomcnt oIthc

44
Thc Truth In PoIntIng
}udgmcnt oI tastcconsidcrcdIrom thcoint oI vicw oI quaIity,'
book&' AnaIyticoIthccautiIuI'| oIthchrstscction AnaIytic
oI Acsthctic }udgmcnt'| oI thc hrst art Critiquc oI Acsthctic
}udgmcnt'| . WhycaIIa}udgmcntoI tastcacsrhcrc! ccausc, in
ordcrtodistinguishwhcthcra thingcanbccaIIcdbcautiIuI, I do
not consuIt thcrcIationoIthcrcrcscntation tothcobjccr, with
avicw toknowIcdgc thc}udgmcntoItastc docsnotgivcus any
knowIcdgc|butitsrcIationtothcsubjccrandtoitsaIIcctIcasurc
orunIcasurc| . Thc}udgmcntoItastcisnota}udgmcntoIknowI
cdgc, it is not IogicaI' but sub}cctivc and thcrcIorc acsthctic.
rcIation to thc aIIcct asrhcssj . Any rcIation oI rcrcscntation
can otcntiaIIy bc ob}cctivc, cvcn a rcIation oI thc scnsc but
IasurcandunIcasurcncvcrcan.Acsthcticrcrcscntationscan
ccrtainIygivcrisctoIogicaI}udgmcntswhcnthcyarcrcIatcdby
thc}udgmcnt tothc ob}cct, butwhcnthc}udgmcntitscIIrcIatcs
tothc sub}cct, to thc sub}cctivc aIIcctas is thc caschcrcitis
and canonIybcan acsthctic onc.
What is gcncraIIy transIatcd by sub}cctivc satisIaction, thc
WohIgcjaIIcn, thcIcasngwhichdctcrmincsacsthctic}udgmcnt,
must, wc know, bc disintcrcstcd. Intcrcst Inrcrcsscj aIways rc
IatcsustothccxsrcnccoIanob} cct. Iamintcrcstcdbyanob} cct
whcnitscxistcnccExsrcnz|mattcrstomcinoncwayoranothcr.
Mow thc qucstion oI knowing whcthcr I can sayoI a thing that
it is bcautiIuI has, according to Kant, nothing to do with thc
intcrcstthatIdoordonothavcinitscxistcncc.AndmyIcasurc
Lusrj, thatsccicsoIIcasngwhichiscaIIcdIcasurcandwhich
IIccIwhcnIaccdwiththatwhichI}udgctobcbcautiIuI, rcquircs
anindiIIcrcnccormorcrigorousIyan absoIutcIackoIintcrcstIor
thc cxistcncc oIthc thing.
ThisurcanddisintcrcstcdIcasurc butnotindiIIcrcnt. Hci
dcggcrhcrcrcroachcsMictzschcwithnothavingundcrstoodthc
nonindiIIcrcnt structurc oI this Icttingbc| , this Icasurc which
draws mctoward a noncxistcncc or atIcast toward a thing but
whatisathing`MccdhcrctograItonthcHcdcggcrianqucstion|
thc cxistcncc oIwhichis indiIIcrcnt to mc, such a Icasurc dc
tcrmincs thc}udgmcnt oI tastc and thc cnigma oI thc bcrcavcd
cnJcuIIc| rcIationIabor oImourningbroachcd inadvanccto
bcauty. Likc a sort oI transccndcntaI rcduction, thc cochcoI a
thcsis oI cxistcncc thc suscnsion oI which Iibcratcs, in ccrtain
IormaI conditions, thc urc IccIing oIIcasurc.
ThccxamIcisIamiIiar. IaminIrontoIaaIacc. Iamaskcd
iIIhnditbcautiIuI, orrathcriII can saythisisbcautiIuI.'Itis

Pancnccr
45
a qucstion oI }udgmcnt, oI a }udgmcnt oI univcrsaI vaIidity and
cvcrything must thcrcIorcbcabIc to bcroduccd in thcIorm oI
statcmcnts,qucstions, andanswcrs.AIthoughthcacsthcticaIIcct
cannot bc rcduccd, thc instancc oIthc}udgmcnt commands that
I bcabIc tosaythis is bcautiIuI' or this is not bcautiIuI.'
Is thc aIacc I'm scaking about bcautiIuI ` AII kinds oI an
swcrs can miss thc oint oI thc qucstion. II I say, I don't Iikc
things madcIoridIcgawcrs, or cIsc, IikcthcIroquois sachcm, I
rcIcr thcubs,orcIsc,inthcmanncroIRousscau, whatwchavc
hcrc isa sign oIthc vanityoIthc grcatwho cxIoitthccoIcin
ordcr to roducc IrivoIous things, or cIsc iI I wcrc on a dcscrt
isIandandiIIhadthcmcans todo so, IwouIdstiIInotgo tothc
troubIcoIhavingitimortcd, ctc. ,noncoIthcscanswcrs consti
tutcs an intrinsicaIIy acsthctic }udgmcnt. I havc cvaIuatcd this
aIaccinIactintcrmsoIcxrrnscmotivcs, intcrmsoIcmiricaI
sychoIogy, oIcconomicrcIationsoIroduction, oIoIiticaIstruc
turcs, oI tcchnicaI causaIity, ctc.
Mowyouhavc to knowwhatyou'rc taIking about, whatn
rrnscaIIy conccrnsthcvaIuc bcauty'andwhat rcmainscxtcr
naI to your immancnt scnsc oI bcauty. This crmancnt rcquirc
mcntto distinguish bctwccn thc intcrnaI or rocr scnsc and
thc circumstancc oIthc ob} cctbcingtaIkcdaboutorganizcsaII
hiIosohicaI discourscs on art, thc mcaning oIart andmcaning
as such, Irom PIato to HcgcI, Husscr and Hcidcggcr. This rc
quircmcnt rcsuoscs a discoursc on thc Iimit bctwccn thc in
sidcand outsidcoIthc art ob} cct, hcrca Jscoursc on rhc}ramc
Whcrc isittobcIound`
What thcywantto know, accordingtoKant, whcn thcy ask
mc iI I hnd this aIaccbcautiIuI, is iI I hnd that its bcaur}uI,
inothcrwordsiIthc mcrc rcrcscntationoI thc ob}cctinitscII,
withinitscIIIcascsmc,iIitroduccsinmcaIcasurc,howcvcr
indiIIcrcnt gIcchgttIrg| I may rcmain to thc cxistcncc oI that
ob} cct. It is quitc Iain that in ordcr to say that thc ob} cct s
bcaur}uI, and toshowthatI havc tastc, cvcrythingturns onthc
mcaningwhichI can givc to this rcrcscntation, andnot onany
Iactor which makcs mc dccndcnt on thc rcaI cxistcncc oI thc
ob} cct. Evcry onc must aIIow tha a }udgcmcnt on thc bcautiIuI
which is tingcd with thc sIightcstintcrcst, isvcryartiaIandnot
a urc }udgmcnt oI tastc. Onc must not bc in thc Icast rcos-
scsscd in Iavour oI thc rcaI cxistcncc oI thc thing xsrcnz Jcr
Sachcj , but must rcscrvc comIctc indiIIcrcncc in this rcscct,
in ordcr toIaythcart oI}udgcin mattcrs oI tastc.
Thc Ttuth In PoIntIng
Thisroosition, whichisoIthcutmostimortancc,cannot
bc bcttcr cxIaincd than by contrasting thc urc disintcrcstcd
dcIight unnrcrcssrrcn WohIgcjaIIcnlwhichacarsinthc} udgc
mcnt oI tastcwith that aIIicd vcrbunJcnl to an intcrcstcsc
ciaIIyiIwccanaIsoassurcourscIvcsthatthcrcarcnoothcrkinds
oIintcrcstbcyondthoscrcscntIytobcmcntioncd.'Thcscothcr
kinds arc thc intcrcst Ior thc cxistcncc oI thc agrccabIc andIor
thc cxistcncc oI thcgooJ Mcrcdith, | ||| .
a disintcrcstcdIcasurc. thcIormuIaistoowcII known,
too rcccivcd, as is thc rcIusaI it has ncvcr ccascd to rovokc.
Angcr oI Mictzschc and Artaud. disintcrcst or unintcrcstcdncss
arc sucrcrogatory. Mcditativc murmur Irom Hcidcggcr, at thc
cnd oI 1hc Orgn. Icasurc is sucrIIuous or insuIhcicnt.
Oon't bc in too much oI a hurry to concIudc whcn it's a
mattcr oIIcasurc. In this casc, oI a Icasurc which wouId thus
bcurcand disintcrcstcd, whichwouIdinthiswaydcIivcr itscII
u in thc urity oI its csscncc, without contamination Irom
outsidc. It no Iongcr dccnds on any hcnomcnaI cmiricity, oI
any dctcrmincd cxsrcncc, whcthcr that oI thc ob} cct or that oI
thcsub}cct, my cmiricity rcIatingmcrcciscIytothccxistcncc
oI thc bcautiIuI ob}cct, or to thc cxistcncc oI my scnsory mo
tivation. As such, and considcrcd intrinsicaIIy but how to dc
Iimit thc intrinsic, that which runs aIong, sccus, thc intcrnaI
Iimit` |, thcIcasurcrcsuoscs notthc disacarancc urc and
simIc, but thc ncutraIization, not simIy thc utting to dcath
but thc msc cn cryrc cntombmcnt/cncryting| oI aII that cx
ists in as much as it cxists. This Icasurc is urcIy sub} cctivc.
in thc acsthctic }udgmcnt it docs not dcsignatc bczcchncrl
anything about thc ob} cct. ut its sub}cctivity is not an cxis
tcncc, nor cvcn a rcIation to cxistcncc. It is an incxistcnt or
ancxistcntsub} cctivityarisingonthccryt oIthc cmiricaI sub-
} cct and its whoIc worId.
ut a sub}cctivity which ncvcrthcIcss cn} oys. Mo, docs not
cn} oy Kant distinguishcsIcasurc WohIgcjaIIcn, Lusrl Iromcn
}oymcnt Gcnussl . Takcs Icasurc. Mo, Ior it rcccvcs it }ust as
much. II thc transIation oI WohIgcjaIIcn byIcasurc is not cn
tircIyrigorous,andthatbysarsjacron cvcnIcss so,thcIcasng
risks Icaning toward thc agrccabIc and Ictting us think that
'
Pancnccr (7
cvcrything comcs Irom thc ob} cct which Icascs. In truth, in
thc WohIgcjaIIcn I Icasc myscIj, but without comIaisancc, I
do not intcrcstmyscII, cscciaIIynot inmyscIIinsoIarasIcxist.
IIcascmyscII. Mot in any thing that cxists, not in doing
somcthing or othcr. IIcascmyscIjn IcasngmyscIjna
which is bcautiIuI. InsoIar as it docs not cxist.
As this aIIcct oI thcIcasngoncscIjn rcmains sub}cctivc
through and through, onc couId hcrc scak oI an autoaIIcction.
Thc roIc oI imagination and hcncc oI timc in this whoIc dis
coursc wouId conhrm this. Mothing cxistcnt, as such, nothing
in timc or sacc can roducc this aIIcct which thus cathccts
itscIIwithitscII qus'ajjccrcJoncIumcmcJcIumcmc| . And
yct thc IcasngoncscIjn, thc n oI thc IcasngoncscIj aIso
indicatcs that this autoaIIcction immcdiatcIy gocs outsidc its
insidc. it is a urc hctcroaIIcction. ThcurcIy sub}cctivc aIIcct
is rovokcd by what is caIIcd thc bcautiIuI, that which is said
to bc bcautiIuI. oursJc, in thc ob} cct and indccndcntIy oI its
cxistcncc. Whcncc thc criticaI and indiscnsabIc charactcr oI
this rccoursc to}udgmcnt. thc structurc oIautoaIIcctionis such
that itcathccts itscIIwith a urc ob} cctivityoIwhich oncmusr
sayitsbcautiIuI' and this statcmcnthas univcrsaIvaIidity.'
Othcrwisc, thcrc wouId bc no robIcmand no discoursc on
art. 1hc cnrrcIyorhcr carhccrs mc wr urc Icasurc by Jc
rvng mc borh oj conccr anJ cnjoymcnr. Without this cn
tircIyothcr, thcrc wouId bc no univcrsaIity, no rcquircmcnt oI
univcrsaIity, but Ior thc samc rcason, with rcscct to that cn
tircIy othcr, thcrc isnocn}oymcnt singuIar, cmiricaI, cxistcnt,
intcrcstcd or dctcrminant or knowIcdgc concct. And nothing
thcorcticaI orracticaI yct. Thc most irrcducibIchctcroaIIcction
inhabitsintrinsicaIIythc most cIoscd autoaIIcction. that is
thc grosscSchwcrgkcr'. it docs nothangon thc comIortabIc
scttingu oI a vcry dcrivativc sub} cct/ob} cct couIc, in a su
crvcning }udicativc sacc. Mor Irom somc wcIIoiIcd mccha
nism oI mmcss, homooss, aJacquaro Wc know that Kant
rc} cctsthcnotionoIimitation, atIcastinitiaIIy. AsIorhomooss
oraJacquaro, thcmattcrbccomcs, tosaythcIcast, comIicatcd
as soonasoncisdcaIingnoIongcrwithadctcrminant}udgmcnt
butwitharcIIcctivc}udgmcnt,andassoonasthcrcsinqucstion
docs not cxist, or in any casc is not considcrcd in its cxistcncc
as a thing. It is at thc cnd oI a quitc diIIcrcnt itincrarythat wc
(. ! p!cascmysc!t 'hcrcnot in thc scnsc ! do as! !Ikc.'
Thc Truth In PoIntIng
shaII vcriIy thc cIhcacy oI thcsc vaIucs mmcss, homooss,
aJacquaroj in Kant's discoursc
aImostnothing
rcmains to mc| . ncithcr thc thing, nor its cxistcncc, nor minc,
ncithcr thc urc ob} cct nor thc urc sub}cct, no intcrcst oI any
thing that is in anything that is. And yct I Iikc. no, that's stiII
goingtooIar, that'sstiIItakinganintcrcstincxstcncc,nodoubt.
I do not Iikc, but I takc Icasurc in what docs not intcrcst mc,
in somcthing oI which i is at Icast a mattcr oI indiIIcrcncc
whcthcr I Iikc it or not. I do not takc this Icasurc that I takc,
it wouId sccm rathcr that I rcturn it, I rcturn what I takc, I
rcccivc what I rcturn, I do not takc what I rcccivc. And yct I
givc it to myscII. Can I say that I givc it to myscII ` It is so
univcrsaIIy ob} cctivcin thc cIaim madc by my }udgmcnt and
by common scnscthat it can onIy comc Irom a urc outsidc.
LnassimiIabIc. Atainch,IdonotcvcnIccIthisIcasurcwhich
I givc myscII or rathcr to which I givc myscII, by which I givc
myscII, iItoIccIcrouvcr|mcans tocxcricncc rcsscnrr| hc
nomcnaIIy, cmiricaIIy, in thc sacc and timc oI my intcrcstcd
or intcrcsting cxistcncc. PIcasurc which it is imossibIc to cx
cricncc. I ncvcr takc it, ncvcr rcccivc it, ncvcr rctum it, ncvcr
givc it, ncvcr givc it to myscII bccausc I mc, cxisting sub} cct|
ncvcr havc acccss to thc bcautiIuI as such. I ncvcr havc acccss
to urc Icasurc inasmuch as I cxist.
AndyctrhcrcsIcasurc,somcstiIIrcmains, rhcrcs,csgbr,
rgvcs,thcIcasurciswhatrgvcs,tonobodybutsomcrcmains
andit' sthcbcst, thcurcst.Anditisthisrcmaindcrwhichcauscs
raIk, sinccitis, onccagain, rimariIya qucstionoIJscourscon
thcbcautiIuI, oIdiscursivityn thcstructurcoIthcbcautiIuIand
not onIy oI a discoursc suoscd to hacn accidcntaIIy ro thc
bcautiIuI.
y . EconomImcsIs,'InNIncsIs jdcs ortIcuIotIons| ,IncoIIaboratIon
wIth S. AgacInskI, S. Kotman, Ph. LacoucLabarthc, }. L. anc, B. Pau
tratl . !n thc coIIcctIon La PhIIosophIc cn cttct' ParIs. AubIcrIIam
marIon, Ip/ y l pp. y y pj, EngIIsh transIatIon In OIocrItIcs 1 1 no. z
, : p8 Il . j zy | .} L.
Pancncc
+-
z. scJucc r. by trcating thc third critiquc as a work oI
art, I ncutraIizc or cncryt its cxistcncc. ut I wiII not bc abIc
tohndoutwhcthcr, inordcrtodothis, Imusthndmyauthority
in thc Crrquc, so Iong as I don't know what thc cxistcncc oI
a thing is, and conscqucntIy intcrcst in thc cxistcncc oIa thing.
What is it to cxist, Ior Kant` To bc rcscnt, according to sacc
and timc, as an individuaI thing according to thc conditions oI
thc transccndcntaI acsthctic. Thcrc is nothing Icss acsthcticin
this scnscthanthc bcautiIuI ob} cctwhichmust not intcrcst us
quaasrhcron. utthisacsthcticincxistcnccmust aIIcctmcand
thatiswhythcrctcntionoIthcword acsthcticis}ustihcd, Irom
thc start.
Whcn thc bcautiIuI| ob} cct is a book, what cxists andwhat
noIongcrcxists` ThcbookisnottobcconIuscdwiththcscnsory
muItiIicityoIitscxistingcoics. Thcob} cctbookthusrcscnts
itscII as such, in its intrinsic structurc, as indccndcnt oI its
cocs. ut what onc wouId thcn caII its idcaIity is not urc, a
vcrydiscriminatinganaIysismustdistinguishitIrom idcaIityin
gcncraIIromthcidcaIityoIotcrtycsoIob} cct, andinthcarca
oI art, Irom that oI othcrcIasscs oI books novcI, octry, ctc. | or
oInondiscursivcornonbookartob} ccts ainting, scuIturc, mu
sic,thcatcr, ctc. | . IncachcascthcstructurcoIcxcmIarityuniquc
ormuItiIc| isoriginaIandthcrcIorcrcscribcsadiIIcrcntaIIcct.
AndincachcascthcrcrcmainstobcIoundoutwhatimortancc
oncgivcs to thccascIccasqu'onjar Ju cas| , toknowwhcthcr
oncdrositasancxtrinsiccxcrcmcnt,orrctainsitasanintrinsic
idcaIity
Hcrc is an cxamIc, but an cxamIc cn abymc. thc third
Crrquc. Howtotrcat this book. Isitabook.WhatwouIdmakc
a book oIit. What isittorcadthis book. Howto takc it. Havc I
thc right to say that it is bcautiIuI. And hrst oI aII thc right to
askmyscIIthat
Ior cxamIcthc qucstion oI
ordcr. A satiaI, socaIIcdIastic, art ob} cct docs notncccssariIy
rcscribc an ordcr oI rcading. I can movc around in Iront oI it,
start Irom thc to or thc bottom, somctimcs waIk round it. Mo

,o Thc Ttuth In Pontng
doubtthisossibiIityhasanidcaIIimit.LctussayIorthcmomcnt
that thc structurc oI this Iimit aIIows a grcatcrIay than in thc
casc oItcmoraIartob} ccts whcthcr discursivc ornot|, unIcss a
ccrtain Iragmcntation, a satiaI msc cn sccnc, rcciscIy an cI
IcctivcorvirtuaI artition|aIIowsus to bcgin in various Iaccs,
tovarydircctionor sccd.
ut a book. And a book oI hiIosohy. II it is a book oI
mctahysics in thc Kantian scnsc, hcncc a book oI urc hi-
Iosohy, onc can in rinciIc cntcr it Irom any oint it is a
sort oI architccturc. In thc third Crrquc, thcrc is urc hiIos-
ohy, thcrc is taIk oI it and its Ian is drawn. In tcrms oI thc
anaIogy but how to mcasurc its tcrms| onc ought to bc abIc
to bcgin anywhcrc and IoIIow any ordcr, aIthough thc quantity
and thc quaIity, thc Iorcc oI thc rcading may dccnd, as with
a iccc oI architccturc, on thc oint oI vicw and on a ccrtain
rcIation to thc idcaI Iimitwhich acts as a Iramc. Thcrc arc
onIy cvcr oints oI vicw. but thc soIidity, thc cxistcncc, thc
structurc oI thc cdihcc do not dccnd on thcm. Can onc sa
thc samc, by anaIogy, oI a book. Onc docs not ncccssariIy gain
acccss to a icc oI architccturc by IoIIowing thc ordcr oI its
roduction, starting at thc Ioundations and arriving at thc rooI-
ridgc. And wc must distinguish hcrc bctwccn crcction, anaI
ysis, cnctration, utiIization, cvcn dcstruction. ut docs onc
rcad a book oI urc hiIosohy iI onc docs not bcgin with thc
Ioundations and IoIIow thc }uridicaI ordcr oI its writing. What
thcn is it to rcad hiIosohy and must onc onIy rcad it. To bc
surc, thc }uridicaI ordcr suortcd by thc Ioundations docs not
coincidc with thc IactuaI ordcr. Ior cxamIc, Kant wrotc his
introduction aItcrhnishingthc bookanditisthcmostowcrIuI
cIIort to gathcr togcthcr thc whoIc systcm oI his hiIosohy,
to givc his whoIc discoursc a Jc jurc Ioundation, to articuIatc
critiquc with hiIosohy. Thc introduction IoIIows, thc Ioun-
dation comcs aItcr having comc hrst. ut cvcn iI it wcrc cs
tabIishcdthatinrinciIc, inmctahysicsinthc Kantianscnsc,
onc mustbcgin at thc Ioundations, critiquc isnot mctahysics.
itis, rsr, n scarch oj thc Ioundation and thus inIact comcs
ajrcrwarJsl, suscndcd Iikc a cranc or a dragIinc buckct abovc
thc it, working to scrac, robc, cIcar, and ocn u a surc
ground. In what ordcr to rcad a critiquc. Thc Jc jacro ordcr or
thc Jc jurc ordcr. Thc orJo nvcncnJ or thc orJo cxoncnJ.
6. PortItIon hcrc aIso has thcmcanIngot muscaI scorc.'
Pancnccr $
1
AII thcsc qucstions diIIcr/dcIcr, cach is subordinatc to thc oth-
crs, and whatcvcr thcir intcrminabIc brcadth, thcy arc vaIid in
gcncraI Ior any criticaI tcxt.
a suIc
mcntarycomIicationconstrainsustorcconsidcrthcwaythcsc
qucstions httogcthcr. Thc third Crrqucisnot}ustonccritiquc
among othcrs. Its sccihc ob} cct has thc Iorm oI a ccrtain tyc
oI } udgmcntthc rcIIcctivc }udgmcntwhich works on| thc
cxamIc in a vcry singuIar way. Thc distinction bctwccn rc-
IIcctivc and dctcrminant }udgmcnt, a distinction that is both
IamiIiar and obscurc, watchcs ovcr aII thc intcrnaI divisions oI
thc book. I rccaII it in its oorcst gcncraIity. Thc IacuIty oI
}udgmcnt n gcncraI aIIows onc to think thc articuIar as con
taincd undcr thc gcncraI ruIc, rinciIc, Iaw| . Whcn thc gcn-
craIity is givcn hrst, thc ocration oI }udgmcnt subsumcs and
Jcrcrmncs thc articuIar. It is dctcrminant bcsrmmcnJ|, it
sccihcs, narrowsdown, comrchcnds, tightcns. In thc contrary
hyothcsis, thc rcccrvc }udgmcnt rcccrrcnJ| has onIy thc
articuIar at its disosaI and must cIimb back u to, rcturn
toward gcncraIity. thc cxamIc this iswhat mattcrs to us hcrc|
is hcrc givcn rior to thc Iaw and, in its vcry uniqucncss as
cxamIc aIIows onc to discovcr that Iaw. Common scicntihc
or IogicaI discoursc rocccds by dctcrminant }udgmcnts, and
thccxamIcIoIIows inordcrtodctcrmincor, withacdagogicaI
intcntion, to iIIustratc. In art and in IiIc, whcrcvcr onc must,
according to Kant, rocccd to rcIIcctivc }udgmcnts and assumc
by anaIogy with art. wc shaII comc to this ruIc Iurthcr on| a
hnaIity thc concct oI which wc do not havc, thc cxamIc
rcccJcs. Thcrc IoIIows a singuIar historicity and counting thc
simuIacrumtimc| a ccrtain rcguIatcd, rcIativc| hcturc oI thc
thcorcticaI
= FInaIty' trans!atcs]noIItc, thc rcccvcd Frcnch transIaton o
Kant's ZwccInossIgIcIt, tradtonaIIy rcndcrcd Into En!sh as pur
posvcncss.' Scc bcIow, n. 1 1 .

!
' |
J

,
z Thc Truth n Pontng
on thc authorityoI
this rcI!cctivc hingc, I bcgin my rcading oI thc third Crrquc
withsomccxamIcs.
Is this dociIitycrvcrsc. Mothing yct crmits a dccision.
So I bcgin with somc cxamIcs . not with thc introduction,
which givcs thc Iaws, nor with thc bcginning oI thc book thc
anaIytic oI thc bcautiIuI| . Morwith thcmiddIcnor thc cnd, but
somcwhcrc ncar thc concIusion oIthc anaIytic oIthc bcautiIuI,
aragrah ' It is cntitIcd CIarihcation by ExamIcs' ErIatt
rcrungJurchcscIcj .
Itsmostobvious intcntion is to cIariIy thc structurcoIthc
rocr ob} cct oI thc urc }udgmcnt oI tastc' Jcn cgcnrIchcn
GcgcnsranJJcsrcncn GcschmacksurrhcIsj . IshaIInotcvcncitc
aIIthccxamIcs,butonIysomcoIthcm,andIshaIIrovisionaIIy
IcavctooncsidcthcvcrycomIicatcdthcoryoIcoIorsandsounds,
oIdrawingandcomosition, whichisunIoIdcdbctwccnthctwo
IragmcntsItransIatchcrc.LnIcssitbcbroachcdatthcsamctimc.
IshaIIinanycasc assumcyouhavcrcadit.
Acsthctic,}ustIikcthcorcticaIIogicaI|}udgcmcnts,arcdivisi
bIcintocmiricaIandurc.ThchrstarcthoscbywhichagrccabIc
ncssordisagrccabIcncss,thcsccondthoscbywhichbcauty,isrcd
icatcdoIan ob} cctoritsmodc oIrcrcscntation. ThcIormcrarc
}udgcmcntsoIscnsc matcriaIacsthctic}udgcmcnts| ,thcIattcr as
IormaI| aIonc }udgcmcnts oI tastc rocr aIIcn cgcnrIchc
GcschmacksurrhcIcj .
A}udgcmcntoItastc,thcrcIorc,i s onIyurcsoIaras itsdctcr
miningground csrmmungsgrunJcjistaintcdwithnomcrcIycm
iricaIdcIight WohIgcjaIIcnj . ut such a taint isaIwaysrcscnt
whcrccharm Rczjorcmotion Rtthrung|havcasharcinthc}udgc
mcnt cncnAnrhcIanJcmUrrhcIchabcnj bywhichsomcthing
istobcdcscribcdasbcautiIuI. . . .
AII Iorm oI ob} ccts oI scnsc both oI cxtcrnaI and aIso, mc
diatcIy, oIintcrnaIscnsc|iscithcrgurc GcsraIrj orIay ScIj .In
thcIattcrcascitiscithcrIayoIhgurcs insacc.mimicanddancc|,
ormcrcIayoIscnsations intimc| . Thccharm RczjoIcoIours,or
oIthcagrccabIctoncs oIinstrumcnts, maybcaddcdhnzukom
8. ''HIngc' transIatcs brIsurc, whIch carrIcs connotatIons ot both
brcakIngand}oInIng, sccOc Io gronnotoIogIc ParIs. MInuIt, : p6)l, p6,
transIatcdbyGayatrIChakravortySpIvakas GronnotoIogy| BaItImorc.
}ohnsHopkInsLnIvcrsIty Prcss, : p)6l, 6y .
Pancncc

mcnj . butthcJcsgnZcchnungj ithcIormcrandthccomosition
ComosronjinthcIattcrconstitutcthcrocrob} cctoIthcurc
}udgcmcntoItastc.TosaythatthcurityaIikcoIcoIoursandoItoncs,
orthcirvarictyandcontrast, sccmto contributc bczurragcnj to
bcauty,isbynomcanstoimIythat,bccauscinthcmscIvcsagrcc
abIc, thcythcrcIorcyicIdanaddition cncn . . . Zusarzjtothcdc-
IightinthcIorm WohIgcjaIIcnanJcrFormjandonconaarwith
itgIccharrgcnj . ThcrcaImcaningrathcristhatthcymakcthisIorm
morccIcarIy, dchnitcIy, andcomIctcIynurgcnaucr, bcsrmmrcr
unJ voIIsranJgcrj intuitabIc anschauIch machcnj, andbcsidcs
stimuIatcthcrcrcscntationbythcircharm,asthcycxcitcandsus-
tainthcattcntiondircctcdtothcob} cctitscII.
Evcnwhatis caIIcdornamcnraron Zcrarhcn. dccoration,
adornmcnt,cmbcIIishmcnt Parcrgaji. c. ,whatisonIyanad}unct,
andnotanintrinsicconstitucntinthccomIctcrcrcscntationoI
thcob} cct wasnchrnJcganzc\orsrcIIungJcsGcgcnsranJcsaIs
csranJsrcknncrIch,sonJcrnnurausscrIchaIsZurhar gchorrj,
inaugmcntingthcdcIightoItastcdocssoonIybymcansoIitsIorm.
ThusitiswiththcIramcsEnjassungcnjoIicturcsorthcdracry
onstatucs,orthccoIonnadcsoIaIaccs.utiIthcornamcntation
docsnotitscIIcntcrintothccomositionoIthcbcautiIuIIormiI
itisintroduccd angcbrachr. hxcd on| Iikc a goId Iramc goIJcnc
Rahmcnj mcrcIytowinarovaI Iorthcicturc bymcans oI its
charmitisthcncaIIcdncryarurc| Schmuckj andtakcsaway
Iromthcgcnuincbcauty' Mcrcdith,6 ,, 6 /68j .
athcorywhichwouIdrunaIongasiIonwhccIs
thc
cIothcsonstatucsIorcxamIcwouIdthusbcomamcnts . arcrga.
,4
Thc Ttuth In PoIntIng
Kant cxIains himscII cIscwhcrc on thc ncccssity oIhaving
rccoursc to dcad or schoIarIyIanguagcs. Thc Crcck hcrc conIcs
a quasiconcctuaI dignity to thc notion oI this horsJ'ocuvrc
which howcvcr docs not stand simIy outsidc thc work hors
J'ocuvrc|,aIsoactingaIongsidc, rightuagainstthcwork crgonj .
OictionaricsmostoItcngivchorsd'ocuvrc,'whichi sthcstrict
csttransIation, butaIso acccssory, Iorcign or sccondary ob} cct,'
suIcmcnt,' asidc,' rcmaindcr.'ItiswhatthcrinciaIsub
} cct musr nor bccomc, by bcing scaratcd Irom itscII. thc cdu
cation oIchiIdrcnin IcgisIation Laws /66a| or thc dchnitionoI
scicncc 1hcacrcrus I |a| musrnor bctrcatcd asarcrga. In thc
scarch Ior thc causc or thc knowIcdgc oI rinciIcs, onc musr
avoJIctting thcarcrga gctthcucrhand ovcrthccsscntiaIs
NcomachcanErhcs r opa o| . PhiIosohicaIdiscourscwiII aI
wayshavcbccnagansrthcarcrgon.utwhataboutthisagansr.
Aarcrgoncomcsagainst,bcsidc,andinadditiontothccrgon,
thc work donc }ar| , thc Iact Ic}ar| , thc work, but it docs not
IaII to onc sidc, it touchcs and coocratcs within thc ocration,
Iromaccrtainoutsidc. McithcrsimIyoutsidcnorsimIyinsidc.
Likc an acccssorythatonc isobIigcdto wcIcomc on thcbordcr,
on board aubcrJ, a bcrJ| . Itis hrst oIaII thcon thc|bo a| rdcr|
I csr J' aborJI' abcrJ| .
IIwcwantcdtoIay aIittIcIorthc sakc oIocticsat cty
moIogy, thc abcrJ wouId rcIcrus to thc MiddIc High Ccrman
bcrr tabIc, Iank, dcck oI a vcsscI| . Thc bcrJ is thus rocrIy
scaking a Iank, and ctymoIogy aIIows us togras thc way its
mcanings Iink togcthcr. Thc rimary mcaning is thc dcck oI a
vcsscI, i. c. , a construction madc oI Ianks, thcn, by mctonymy,
that which bordcrs, that which cncIoscs, that which Iimits, that
which isatthc cxtrcmity.' Says Littr.
utthccrymonwiIIaIwayshavchad,Iorwhocvcrknowshow
torcad, itsbordcrcIIccts.
oatsarcncvcrIarawaywhcnoncishandIinghgurcsoIrhct
oric. rothcI borJcI| has thc samc ctymoIogy, it' san casy onc,
athrst a IittIchut madc oIwood.
ThcbcrJismadcoIwood,andaarcntIyindiIIcrcntIikcthc
Iramc oI a ainting. AIong with stonc, bcttcr than stonc, wood
namcs mattcr hyIcmcans wood| . Thcsc qucstions oI wood, oI
,. Pcrhaps rctcrrIng to hackncycd cxampIcs ot hctorIcaI ngurcs,
such as torty saIIs' tor torty shIps' In LumarsaIs, IontanIcr, ctc. But
botcou uscd ad}cctIva!Iy aIsoncons hackncycd.'
Pancncc

mattcr, oI thc Iramc, oI thc Iimit bctwccn insidc and outsidc,
must, somcwhcrc inthc margins, bc constitutcdtogcthcr.
Thcarcrgon, this suIcmcnt outsidc thc work, must, iI it
is to havc thc status oI a hiIosohicaI quasiconcct, dcsignatc
a IormaI and gcncraI rcdicativc structurc, which onc can trans
ortnracrordcIormcdandrcIormcd accorJng roccrran ruIcs,
into othcr hcIds, to submit ncw contcnts to it. Mow Kant docs
usc thc word arcrgon cIscwhcrc. thc contcxt is vcry diIIcrcnt
but thc structurc is anaIogous and }ustasrobIcmaticaI. It is to
bcIoundinavcryIongnotcaddcdtothcsccondcditionoIRcIgon
wrhn rhc Lmrs ojRcason AIonc. This Iacc, thc Iorm oI this
Iacc, is oIgrcatimort.
To what is thc Motc' acndcd` To a CcncraI Rcmark'
which cIoscs thc sccondart.
Mow what is thc arcrgon! It is thc concct oI thc rcmark,
oIthis CcncraIRcmark,' insoIarasit dchncs what comcs tobc
addcd to RcIgon wrhn rhc Lmrs oj Rcason AIonc without
bcingaartoIitandyctwithoutbcingabsoIutcIycxtrinsictoit.
EachartoIthcbookcomriscsaCcncraIRcmark'AIIgcmcnc
Anmcrkung|, aarcrgon conccrningaarcrgon. AsthcrcarcIour
artstoRcIgon,thcnthcbookisinamanncroIscakingjramcJ
caJrcc|, butaIsosquarcdu quaJrIIcc| bythcscIourrcmarks
onarcrga, horsd'ocuvrcs, additivcs' which arc ncithcr insidc
noroutsidc.
Thc bcginning oI thc notc acndcd, in thc sccond cdition,
to thc hrst oI thc CcncraI Rcmarks,' dchncs thc status oI thc
rcmark as arcrgon. This gcncraI Rcmark is thc hrst oI Iour
whichhavcbccnaddcdangchangr. acndcd,Iikcacndixcs| to
cach iccc oI this tcxt jcJcm Srttck Jcscr Schrjr| and which
might havc as titIcs . : | OIthc cIIccts oI gracc, , z| OImiracIcs,
| OI mystcrics, || OI thc mcans oI gracc. Thcy arc in somc
mcasurcarcrgaoIrcIigionwithinthcIimitsoIurcrcason, thcy
arcnotintcgraIartsoIit scgchorcnnchrnncrhaIbJcscIbcn|
but thcy vcrgc on it abcrsrosscn Joch an sc an. thcy touch it,
ushit, rcssit, rcssagainstit, scck contact, cxcrtarcssurcat
thcIronticr| . Rcason, conscious oIits imotcncc Unvcrmogcns|
tosatisIyits moraI nccd thc onIy nccdwhich shouIdground or
shouIdhavcgroundcdrcIigionwithinthcIimits oIrcasonaIonc|,
: o. uodrII!cc Insstsonthcsquarcncss'mp!Icdncodrc , sccaIso
p. ))l, but It aIso carrIcs an Important scnsc ot covcragc, controI,
survcIIancc.

Thc Ttuth In PoIntIn
rcachcs as Iar as thcsc transccndcnt idcas which arc otcntiaIIy
abIctomakcgoodthcIack JcjcncnMangcIcrganzcnj, without
howcvcraroriatingthcm schzuzucgncnj ascxtcnsionoIits
domain csrz,osscssion| ItcontcstsncithcrthcossibiIitynor
thcrcaIityoIthcob} cctsoIthcscidcasbutitcannotadmitthcm
into itsmaximsIorthoughtand action It cvcnhoIds that iI, in
thc unIathomabIc hcId oI thc sucrnaturaI, thcrc is somcthing
morc noch crwas mchrj than what it can rcndcr intcIIigibIc to
itscIIandwhichwouIdhowcvcrbcncccssarytosuIyCibcIin's
transIationoIErganzung|itsmoraIinsuIhcicncy, thisthing, cvcn
though unknown, wiII comc to thc aid zu srarrcn kommcnj oI
its goodwiII, thanks to a Iaith which onc couId caII as rcgards
itsossibiIity|rcccrvc rcccrrcnJcnj bccauscthcdoaticIaith
which dccIarcs that itknows sccms to itrcsumtuous andnot
vcrysinccrc Iortorcmovc diIhcuIticswithrcgard towhat isin
itscII inracticaItcrms|wcIIcstabIishcdisonIyasccondarytask
arcrgonjwhcnthoscdiIhcuIticsconccmtransccndcntqucstions.'
What is transIatcd as sccondary task' is Ncbcngcschajrc.
incidcntaIbusincss orbustIc, activityorocrationwhich comcs
bcsJcoragansr. Thcarcrgoninscribcssomcthingwhichcomcs
as an cxtra, cxrcror to thcrocrhcId hcrc that oIurc rcason
and oI RcIgon wrhn rhc Lmrs oj Rcason AIoncj but whosc
transccndcntcxtcrioritycomcstoIay, abutonto, brushagainst,
rub, rcss againstthcIimititscIIandintcrvcncinthcinsidconIy
tothccxtcntthatthcinsidcisIacking.ItisIackingnsomcthing
and it is Iackingjrom rscIj. ccausc rcason is conscious oI its
imotcncc to satisIy its moraI nccd,' it has rccoursc to thcar
crgon, togracc, tomystcry, to miracIcs It nccds thc suIcmcn
tary work. This additivc, to bc surc, is thrcatcning Its usc is
criticaI. ItinvoIvcs a riskand cxacts a riccthcthcoryoIwhich
iscIaboratcd.TocacharcrgonoIRcIgonthcrcisacorrcsonding
damagc, a dctrimcnt NachrcIj and thc Iour cIasscs oI dangcrs
wiII corrcsond to thc Iour tycs oIarcrgon. r Ior thc wouId
bc intcrnaI cxcricncc cIIccts oI gracc|, thcrc is janarcsm, , z|
Ior thc wouIdbc cxtcmaI cxcricncc miracIcs|, thcrc i ssucr
srron, | IorthcwouIdbcinsightoIthcundcrstandingintothc
sucmaturaI ordcr thcrc isIIumnsm, |j Ior thc wouIdbc ac
tionsonthcsucmaturaI mcansoIgracc|, thcrcisrhaumarurgy.
ThcscIour abcrrations or scductions oI rcasonncvcrthcIcss aIso
havc in vicw a ccrtain Icasing, IcasingCod gorrgcjaIIgcr
Abschrj
Pancncc
t
So, as ancxamIc among cxamIcs, thccIothngon
statucs GcwanJcran Srarucnj wouIdhavcthcIunctonoIaar
crgon and an ornamcnt. Ths mcans Jashcssrj, as Kant makcs
cIcar, that whch s not ntcmaI or ntrnsc nncrIchj, as an
ntcgraI art aIscsranJsrttckj, tothctotaIrcrcscntatonoIthc
ob} cct n Jc ganzc \orsrcIIung Jcs GcgcnsranJcsj but whch
bcIongstotonIynancxtrnscway nurausscrIchjasasurIus,
an addton, an ad}unct aIs Zurharj , a suIcmcnt.
Horsd'ocuvrcs, thcn,thccIothcsoIstatucs,whchbothdcc-
oratcandvcIthcrnudty. Horsd'ocuvrcsstuckontothccdgng
oIthcworknoncthcIcss,andtothccdgngoIthcrcrcscntcdbody
to thc cxtcnt thatsuch s thc argumcntthcy suoscdIy do
notbcIongtothcwhoIcoIthcrcrcscntaton.Whatsrcrcscntcd
n thc rcrcscntatonwouId bcthc nakcd andnaturaIbody, thc
rcrcscntatvccsscnccoIthcstatucwouIdbcrcIatcdtoths, and
thc onIy bcautIuI thngn thc statuc wouId bc that rcrcscnta
ton, taIoncwouIdbccsscntaIIy, urcIy, andntrnscaIIybcau
tIuI, thcrocrob} cctoIa urc}udgmcntoItastc.'
Ths dcImtaton oI thc ccntcr and thc ntcgrty oI thc rc
rcscntaton, oI ts nsdc and ts outsdc, mght aIrcady sccm
strangc. Onc wondcrs, too, whcrc to havc cIothng commcncc.
Whcrc docs aarcrgon bcgn and cnd. WouId anygarmcnt bc a
arcrgon.CstrngsandthcIkc.WhattodowthabsoIutcIytrans
arcntvcIs.Andhowtotransoscthcstatcmcnttoantng.for
cxamIcCranach' sLucrctahoIdsonIyaIghtbandoItransarcnt
vcInIrontoIhcrscx. whcrcsthcarcrgon! ShouIdoncrcgard
asaarcrgonthcdaggcrwhchsnotartoIhcrnakcdandnaturaI
bodyand whosc ont shc hoIds turncdtoward hcrscII, touchng
hcrskn nthatcasc onIythcontoIthcarcrgon wouIdtouch
hcr body, n thc mddIc oIa trangIc Iormcdbyhcr two brcasts
and hcrnavcI| ` Aarcrgon, thc ncckIacc that shc wcars around
hcr ncck` Thc qucston oI thc rcrcscntatvc and ob} cctvzng
csscncc, oI ts outsdc and ts nsdc, oI thc crtcra cngagcd n
thsdcImtaton,oIthcvaIucoInaturaIncsswhchisrcsuoscd
nt,and,sccondarIyorrmarIy,oIthcIaccoIthchumanbody
or oI ts rvIcgc n ths whoIc robIcmatc. II anyarcrgon s
onIyaddcdonbyvrtucoIanntcrnaIIacknthcsystcmtowhch
ts addcd as wasvcrhcdnRcIgonj , whatstthatsIackng
nthcrcrcscntatonoIthcbodysothatthcgarmcntshouIdcomc
, 8 7hc 7tuth In PoIntIn
and suIcmcnt it ` And what wouId art havc to do with this`
What wouId itgivctobcsccn` Causcto bc sccn` Lctusscc` Lct
us causc tobcsccn` OrIct itscIIbcshown`
Wc arc onIy at thc bcginning oI our astonishmcnt at this
aragrah. Parcrgon aIsomcansthccxcctionaI, thcstrangc, thc
cxtraordinary. | Ihavctornthcgarmcnt'aIittIctoohastiIyIrom
thc middIc oIa scrics oI thrcc cxamIcs, oIthrcc arcrgawhich
arc no Icss strangc Each in itscII, hrst oI aII, and thcn in thcir
Pancncc
-
association. Thc cxamIc immcdiatcIy IoIIowing i s that oI thc
coIumns around sumtuous buiIdings SauIcngangc u Prachr
gcbauJcj . ThcsccoIumnsarcaIso, thcn, suIcmcntaryarcrga
AItcr thc garmcnt, thc coIumn` Why wouId thc coIumn bc cx
tcrnaItothcbuiIding`Whcrcdocsthccritcrion, thccriticaIorgan,
thcorganumoIdisccrnmcntcomcIromhcrc`ItisnoIcssobscurc
thaninthcrcviouscasc. ItcvcnrcscntsancxtradiIhcuIty. thc
arcrgon is addcd this timc to a workwhich Jocs nor rcrcscnr
anyrhng and which is itscII aIrcady aJJcJ ronaturc. Wc think
wcknowwhatrocrIybcIongs ordocsnot bcIong tothchuman
body, whatisdctachcd ornot dctachcdIromitcvcnthoughthc
arcrgonisrcciscIyan iIIdctachabIc dctachmcnt. utinawork
oI architccturc, thc \orsrcIIung, thc rcrcscntation is not struc
turaIIy rcrcscntationaIor cIsc is so onIy through dctours com
Iicatcd cnough, no doubt, to disconccrt anyonc who tricd to
disccrn, in a criticaI manncr, thc insidc Irom thc outsidc, thc
intcgraI art and thc dctachabIc art. So as not to add to thcsc
comIications, IshaIIIcavctooncsidc, rovisionaIIy, thccascoI
coIumns in thc Iorm oI thc human body, thosc that suort or
rcrcscntthcsuortoIawindow anddocsawindowIormart
oI thc insidc oI a buiIdingor not ` And what about thc windo
oIabuiIdingina ainting` | , andwhichcanbcnakcdor cIothcd,
can rcrcscnt a man or a woman, a distinction to which Kant
makcs norcIcrcncc.
With this cxamIc oI thc coIumns is announccd thc whoIc
robIcmaticoIinscritionin amiIicu, oIthcmarkingoutoIthc
work in a hcId oI which it is aIways diIhcuIt to dccidc iI it is
naturaI or artihciaI and, in this Iattcr casc, iI it is arcrgon or
crgon.fornotcvcrymiIicu,cvcniIitiscontiguouswiththcwork,
constitutcsaarcrgoninthcKantianscnsc.ThcnaturaIsitccho
scnIorthccrcctionoI a tcmIcisobviousIynot aarcrgon Mor
is an artihciaI sitc. ncithcr thc crossroads, nor thc church, nor
thc muscum, nor thc othcr works around onc or othcr. ut thc
garmcntorthccoIumnis.Why`Itisnotbccauscthcyarcdctachcd
butonthccontrarybccauscthcyarcmorcdiIhcuIttodctachand
abovcaIIbccauscwithoutthcm, withoutthcirquasidctachmcnt,
thcIackonthcinsidcoIthcworkwouIdacar, orwhichamounts
to thc samcthingIoraIack| wouIdnot acar. What constitutcs
thcmasarcrga isnotsimIythcircxtcriorityasa surIus, itis
thcintcrnaI structuraIIink whichrivctsthcmto thcIackin thc
intcrioroIthc crgon. And thisIackwouIdbc constitutivc oIthc
vcryunityoIthccrgon. WithoutthisIack, thc crgon wouIdhavc
6o 7hc 7ruth In PoIntIn
no nccd oIaarcrgon. Thccrgon

s Iack is thc Iack oIaarcrgon,

oIthcgarmcntorthccoIumnwhichncvcrthcIcssrcmainscxtcrior
to it. Howtogivc cncrgca its duc`
Can onc attachthc third cxamIctothis scricsoIcxamIcs,
to thc qucstion that thcy osc` It is in Iact thc hrst oI thc cx
amIcs, and I havc rocccdcd n rcvcrsc. In acarancc it is diI
hcuIttoassociatcitwiththcothcrtwo.ItistodowiththcIramcs
Ioraintings Enjassungcn JcrGcmaIJcj . ThcIramc. aarcrgon
Iikc thc othcrs. Thc scrics might sccm surrising How can onc
assimiIatc thc Iunction oI a Iramc to that oI a garmcnt on in,
around, or u against| a statuc, and to that oI coIumns around a
buiIding`AndwhataboutaIramcIramingaaintingrcrcscnting
abuiIdingsurroundcdbycoIumnsincIothcdhumanIorm` What
isincomrchcnsibIcaboutthccdgc,aboutthcaborJacarsnot
onIyatthcintcrnaIIimit, thconcthatasscsbctwccn thcIramc
andthcainting, thc cIothingand thcbody, thccoIumnandthc
buiIding,butaIsoatthccxtcrnaIIimit. Parcrga havcathickncss,
Pancnccr e r
a surIaccwhich scaratcs thcmnot onIy as KantwouIdhavc it|
Irom thc intcgraI insidc, Irom thc body rocr oI thc crgon, but
aIso Irom thc outsidc, Irom thc waII on which thc ainting is
hung, Irom thc saccinwhich statucor coIumn iscrcctcd, thcn,
stcbystc,IromthcwhoIchcIdoIhistoricaI,cconomic,oIiticaI
inscritionin which thcdrivctosignaturc isroduccd an anaI
ogousrobIcm,aswcshaIIsccIurthcron| . Mothcory,'norac
ticc,' no thcorcticaI racticc' can intcrvcnccIIcctivcIyin this
hcIdiI itdocsnotwcighu and bcaron thcIramc, whichis thc
dccisivc structurc oI what is at stakc, at thc invisibIc Iimit to
bctwccn| thc intcriority oI mcaning ut undcr shcItcr by thc
whoIchcrmcncuticist,scmioticist,hcnomcnoIogicaIist,andIor
maIisttradition|anJ to| aIIthccmiricismsoIthccxtrinsicwhich,
incaabIcoIcithcrsccingorrcading,missthcqucstioncomIctcIy.
ThcarcrgonstandsoutscJcrachc|bothIromthccrgon thc
work| andIrom thcmiIicu, itstands out hrst oIaII Iikc a hgurc
on a ground. ut it docs not stand out in thc samc way as thc
work. Thc Iattcr aIso stands out against a ground. ut thc ar
crgonaI Iramc stands out against two grounds jonJs|, but with
rcsccttocachoIthosc twogrounds, itmcrgcs scjonJ| intothc
othcr.Withrcscct tothcworkwhich can scrvcas agroundIor
it, it mcrgcs into thc waII, and thcn, graduaIIy, into thc gcncraI
tcxt. With rcscct to thc background which thc gcncraI tcxt is,
it mcrgcs into thc work which stands out against thc gcncraI
background. ThcrcisaIwaysaIormonaground,butthcarcrgon
is a Iorm which has as its traditionaI dctcrmination not that it
standsoutbutthatitdisacars,buricsitscII,cIIaccsitscII,mcIts
awayat thc momcntitdcIoysits grcatcst cncrgy. ThcIramcis
inno casca background inthcwaythatthcmiIicu orthcwork
canbc, butncithcrisitsthickncssasmarginahgurc. OratIcast
itisahgurcwhichcomcsawayoIitsownaccord s 'cnIcvcJ'cIIc
mcmc| .
WhatwouIdKanthavcsaidaboutaIramcIramingaainting
rcrcscntingabuiIdingsurroundcdbycoIumns cxamIcsoIthis
arcnumcrous|, coIumnsinthcIormoIcIothcdhumanbodics thc
IrcscocsonthcvauItoIthcSistincChacIwhatisitsIramc`
whoscrcrcscntcd,aintcdob} cctisascuItcdvoIumcitscIIrc
rcscnting, IorcxamIctothcrightoI}onah,nakcdchiIdrcnIorm
ing a coIumn which suorts a cciIing, ctc. Samc imIication
around thc Pcrsian SibyI or around achariahhoIding a book in
his hand, or around }crcmiah, or thc Libyan SibyI it is diIhcuIt
` '
Pancncc
to say whcthcr thc chiIdrcncoIumns arc cIothcd or uncIothcd
thcy arc bcarng cIothcs| , thc whoIc Iramcbcing Iaccd on thc
cascIoIaaintcrwhoishimscIIrcrcscntcdbyanothcrainting.
ItmayacarthatIam takingunIairadvantagcbycrsisting
withtwoorthrccossibIyIortuitouscxamIcsIromasccondary
subchatcr, and that it wouId bc bcttcr to go to Icss marginaI
Iaccsinthcwork, ncarcrtothcccntcrandthchcartoIthcmattcr
Ic}onJ| . To bc surc. Thc ob}cction rcsuoscs that onc aIrcady
knows whatisthc ccntcrorthchcart oIthc third Crtquc, that
onc has aIrcady Iocatcd its Iramc and thc Iimit oI its hcId. ut
nothingsccmsmorcdiIhcuIttodctcrminc.Thc Crtqucrcscnts
itscII as a work crgonj withscvcraI sidcs, and as such it ought
to aIIow itscII to bc ccntcrcd and Iramcd, to havc its ground dc
Iimitcd by bcing markcd out, with a Iramc, against a gcncraI
background.utthisIramcisrobIcmaticaI.Idonot knowwhat
is csscntiaI and what isacccssoryin a work. And abovc aII I do
notknowwhatthisthingis,thatisncithcrcsscntiaInoracccssory,
ncithcr rocr nor imrocr, and that Kant caIIs arcrgon, Ior
cxamIc thcIramc. WhcrcdocsthcIramctakcIacc.Oocsittakc
Iacc.Whcrcdocsitbcgin.Whcrcdocsitcnd.WhatisitsintcrnaI
Iimit. Its cxtcrnaI Iimit. And its surIacc bctwccnthc two Iimits.
I do not know whcthcr thc assagc in thc third Crtqucwhcrc
thcarcrgon isdchncdis itscII aarcrgon. cIorcdccidingwhat
isarcrgonaI in a tcxtwhichoscsthc qucstion oI thcarcrgon,
onchastoknow what aarcrgon isatIcast, iI thcrc isanysuch
thing.
Tothc imaticnt ob} cctor, iI s/hc insists on sccing thc thing
itscII at Iast. thc whoIc anaIytic oI acsthctic }udgmcnt Iorcvcr
assumcsthatonccandistinguishrigorosIybctwccnthcintrinsic
and thc cxtrinsic. Acsthctic }udgmcnt must rocrIy bcar uon
intrinsic bcauty, not on hncry and surrounds Hcncc onc must
knowthisisaIundamcntaIrcsuosition, rcsuosingwhat
isIundamcntaIhowtodctcrmincthcintrinsicwhatisIramcd
and knowwhat onc is cxcIudingasIramcanJoutsidcthcIramc.
Wc arcthusaIrcaJyatthcunIocatabIcccntcroIthcrobIcm.And
whcnKantrcIicstoourqucstionWhatisaIramc` 'bysaying.
it's aarcrgon, ahybridoIoutsidcandinsidc,butahybridwhich
isnota mixturc ora haIImcasrc, an outsidcwhichis caIIcdto
thcinsidcoIthcinsidcinordcrtoconstitutcitas aninsidc, and
whcnhcgivcsascxamIcs oIthcarcrgon, aIongsidcthcIramc,
cIothingandcoIumn,wcasktoscc, wcsaytoourscIvcsthatthcrc

:
~ i
: |

7hc 7ruth In PoIntIn

arc grcat diIhcuItics'hcrc, andthatthcchoiccoIcxamIcs, and
thcir association, is not scIIcvidcnt.
Thcmorcsobccausc,accordingtothcIogicoIthcsuIcmcnt,
thc arcrgon is dividcd in two. At thc Iimit bctwccn work and
abscnccoIwork, itdividcsintwo.Andthisdivisiongivcsriscto
a sort oIathoIogyoIthcarcrgon, thc Iorms oIwhichmust bc
namcd and cIassihcd, }ust as RcIgon rccognizcd Iour tycs oI
arcrgonaImisdccdsor dctrimcnts. Kantis in thc roccss oIdc
tcrmining thcrocrob} cctoI thcurc}udgmcnt oI tastc.'ut
hc docs not simIy cxcIudc Irom itthc arcrgon as suchandin
gcncraI.OnIyin ccrtainconditions.ThccritcrionoIcxcIusionis
hcrcaIormaIity.
What mustwc undcrstand byIormaIity`
Thcarcrgon Iramc,garmcnt,coIumn|canaugmcntthcIca
surc oI tastc WohIgcjaIIcn Jcs Gcschmacksl , contributc to thc
rocr and intrinsicaIIy acsthctic rcrcscntation iI it intcrvcncs
by rs jorm Jurch scnc Forml and onIy by its Iorm. II ithas a
bcautiIuIIorm,' it Iorms art oI thc }udgmcnt oItastc rocrIy
scaking or in any casc intcrvcncs dircctIy in it. This is, iI you
Iikc, thcnormaIarcrgon. utiIonthcothcrhanditisnotbcau
tiIuI,urcIybcautiIuI,i. c. , oIaIormaIbcauty, itIascsintoaJorn
mcnr Schmuckl and harms thc bcauty oI thc work, it docs it
wrong and causcs it dctrimcnt Abbruchl . This is anaIogous to
thcdctrimcnt ordamagcNachrcIloIRcIgon
Mow thccxamIcoIthis dcgradationoIthc simIcarcrgon
intoascductivcadornmcntis againaIramc, this timc thc giIdcd
Iramc goIJcnc Rahmcnl, thcgiIdingoI thc Iramc donc in ordcr
torccommcndthcaintingtoourattcntionbyitsattraction Rczl .
What is bad, cxtcmaI to thc urc ob} cct oItastc, is thus what
scduccs by an attraction, and thc cxamIc oI what Icads astray
by its Iorcc oI attraction is a coIor, thc giIding, in asmuch asit
isnonIorm, contcnt, or scnsorymattcr.Thc dctcrioration oI thc
arcrgon, thccrvcrsion, thcadornmcnt, isthcattractionoIscn
sorymattcr. As dcsign, organization oIIincs, Iorming oI angIcs,
thcIramcisnot ataIIan adornmcntandonc cannot dowithout
it. ut in its urity, it ought to rcmain coIorIcss, dcrivcd oI aII
cmiricaI scnsorymatcriaIity.
ThisoositionIorm/mattcrgovcrns, aswcknow, thcwhoIc
Crrquc andinscribcsitwithina owcrIuI tradition. According
to 1hc Orgn ojrhc Work ojArr, itis onc oI thc thrcc dctcrmi
nations hyokcmcnon/symbcbckos asrhcron/nocron, cJos
morhc/hyIcl which IaII vioIcntIy uon thc thing. It rocurcs a
$*
Pancnccr
concctuaI schcma' cgr]sschcmal Ior any thcory oI art. It
suIhccs to associatc thc rationaI with thc IormaI, thc irrationaI
with mattcr, thc irrationaI with thc iIIogicaI, thc rationaI with
thcIogicaI, tocouIc thc whoIc Iot to thc sub} cct/ob} cctair, in
ordcr to havc at onc' sdisosaI a cgrjjsmcchank that nothing
can rcsist. ut Irom what rcgion docs this dctcrmination oI thc
thing as Iormcd mattcr comc` Its whoIcsaIc usagc by acsthctics
66 7hc 7rutI In PoIntIn
aIIows us to conccivc oI it as a dcortation Irom thc domain oI
art. In any casc, Christian crcationismwouId, according to Hci
dcggcr, havcbroughtwithita articuIar incitcmcnt,' a suIc
mcntarymotivationIorconsidcring thcIormmattcrcomIcxas
thcstrcturcoIcvcrycntity,thccnscrcarumasthcunityoIjorma
andmarcra. ThoughIaithhasdisacarcd,thcschcmasoIChris
tian hiIosohy rcmain cIIcctivc. Thus it is that thc intcrrc
tationoIthcthingintcrmsoImattcrandIorm,whcthcritrcmains
mcdicvaI or bccomcs transccndcntaI in thc Kantian scnsc, has
bccomccommonandscIIcvidcnt. utthisdocsnotmakcitany
Icss than thc othcr intcrrctations oI thc thingncss oI thc thing
a sucrimosition IaIIcn onto
_
bcrjaIIj thc bcingthing oI thc
thing. This situation rcvcaIs itscII aIrcady in thc Iact oI naming
thingsrocrIyscaking cgcnrIchcnDngcjthingsurcandsim
Ic bIossDngc. nakcdthings| . Thisnakcd' bIossjdocshowcvcr
mcan thc striing EnrbIossungj oI thc charactcr oI uscIuIncss
DcnIchkcrj and oIbcing madc. Thc nakcdthing bIosscDngj
isa sortoIroductZcugjbutaroductdivcstcd cnrkIcJcrcj oI

Pancnccr
its bcingasroduct. cingthing thcn consists in what stiII rc
mains was noch ttbrgbIcbrl . ut this rcmaindcr Rcsrl is not
rocrIy cgcnsl dctcrmincdin itscII. . . . '
and what iI thc
_
bcr}aII had thc structurc oI thc
arcrgon! Thc vioIcnt sucrimosition which IaIIs aggrcssivcIy
uonthcthing, thc insuIt'asthcfrcnchtransIatorsaysIorthc
_
bcr}aI, strangcIy but not withoutcrtincncc, which cnsIavcs
itand, IitcraIIy, con}ugatcs it, undcrmattcr/Iormis this sucr
imosition thc contingcncy oI a casc, thc IaII oI an accidcnt, or
ancccssitywhichrcmainstobccxamincd` AndwhatiI, Iikcthc
arcrgon, itwcrcncithcrthc oncnorthcothcr` AndwhatiIthc
rcmanJcr couId ncvcr, in its structurc as rcmaindcr, bc dctcr
mincdrocrIy,'whatiIwcmustnoIongcrcvcncxcctorqucs
tionanythingwithin thathorizon
thc
wordarcrgon intcrvcncs,rcciscIy aragrahs & ' andz|| atthc
momcntwhcnKanthas}ustdistinguishcdbctwccnmarcraIand
}ormaI}udgmcnts,thcIattcraIoncconstituting}udgmcntsoItastc
in thc rocr scnsc. It is not, oI coursc, a mattcr oI a IormaIist
acsthctic wc couId show, Irom anothcr oint oI vicw, that it is
thccontrary|butoIIormaIityasthcsaccoIacsthcticsingcncraI,
oI a IormaIism' which, instcad oI rcrcscnting a dctcrminatc
systcm, mcrgcswiththchistoryoIartandwithacsthcticsitscII.
And thc IormaIitycIIcct is aIways ticd to thc ossibiIity oI a
Iraming systcm that is both imoscdand crascd.
ThcqucstionoIthcIramc isaIrcadyIramcdwhcnitacars
ata ccrtain dctour oIthc Crrquc.
WhyIramcd`
Thc CIarihcation by ExamIcs' aragrah r || bcIongs to
thc AnaIytic oI thc cautiIuI,' book &' oI thc AnaIytic oI Acs
thctic }udgmcnt.' This anaIytic oI thc bcautiIuI comriscs Iour
arts, Iour sidcs, Iour momcnts. Thc }udgmcnt oI tastciscxam
68 7hc 7ruth In PoIntIn
incd Irom Iour sidcs. , : | according to quaIr, z| according to
quanrr, | accordingto thcrcIaron ojrhccnJs thcarcrgon
hndsitsIodgingshcrc || accordingto moJaIry. Thc dchnition
oIthcbcautiIuIaccordingtoquaIityisthcob}cctoIadisintcrcstcd
WohIgcjaIcn, according to quantity, what pIcascs univcrsaIIy
without conccpt according to thc rcIation oI cnds, thc Iorm oI
hnaIity without thc rcprcscntation oI an cnd hnaIity without
cnd | according to modaIity, that which is rccognizcd without
conccpt as thcob} cct oIa ncccssary WohIgcjaIIcn.
Such is thc catcgoriaI Iramc oI thc anaIytic oI thc bcautiIuI.
Mow whcrc docs this Iramc comc Irom` Who suppIics it ` Who
constructs it` Whcrc isitimportcd Irom`
from thc anaIytic oI conccpts in thc CrrqucojPurc spcc
uIativc|Rcason. AbricIrcmindcr.thisanaIyticoIconccptsisonc
oI thc two parts oI thc transccndcntaI anaIytic transccndcntaI
anaIyticanddiaIcctic,adivisionrcproduccdinthcthirdCrrquc.
anaIyticanddiaIccticoIacsthctic}udgmcnt| . ThctransccndcntaI
anaIytic compriscs an anaIytic oI conccpts and an anaIytic oI
principIcs Thc Iormcr brcaks down thc powcr oIundcrstanding
in ordcr to rccognizc init thcpossibiIity oI a ror conccpts in
thcir country oI birth,' namcIy thc undcrstanding whcrc thcy
Iicdormantandinrcscrvc.Sinccrcccptivc|intuitionaIoncrcIatcs
immcdiatcIy to thc ob}cct, thc undcrstanding docs soby thc in
tcrmcdiary, prcciscIy, oI }udgmcnts. }udgmcnt is thc mcdiatc
knowIcdgc oI 3 ob} cct. And wc can rcIcr aII thc acts oI thc
undcrstandingback to}udgmcnts, in sucha waythatthcundcr
standingingcncraI can bc rcprcscntcd as a powcr to }udgc Ur
rcIskrajrj .' Thcpowcrtothinkaspowcrto} udgc. OncwiIIthus
hndthcIunctionsoIthcundcrstandingbydctcrminingthcIunc
tions oIunityin}udgmcnt. ConccptsrcIatc, asprcdicatcs oIpos
sibIc}udgmcnts,tothcrcprcscntationoIanob} cct. ConscqucntIy,
byconsidcringthc simpIcIormoIthcundcrstanding by abstract
ing thc contcnt oI }udgmcnts, onc can cstabIish thc Iist oI thc
IormsoI}udgmcntundcrjourhcadingsandtwcIvcmomcnts Iour
timcs thrcc thcIourtimcsthrccaIso constructs thc tabIc 1ajcIj
11. Wc havc prctcrrcd to transIatc LcrrIda's nna!Itc sans nn' !It
cra!ly as nnaIItywIthoutcnd,'rathcrthanrcvcrttothcstandardpur
posIvcncsswIthoutpurposc'. thIs aIIows us toprcscrvca ccrtaInscnsc
ot LcrrIda's cxpIoItatIon ot dIttcrcnt scnscs ot thc word}n cnd'l , and
toavoIdccrtaIntradItIonaIassumptIonsabout KantwhIchLcrrIda's cs
saysuspcndsatthcvcryIcast. Purposc'wouIdbcmorcsuItabIctorbut,
but wc havc tcndcd to transIatc thIs as goaI to avoId contusIon.


.
Pancnccr
oIthcsucriorIacuIticsatthccndoIthcintroductiontothcthird
Crrquc. Kant rcIics, inanotc, to thosc whoob} ccttohis tri-
artitc' JrcrcIgj divisions and to his tastc Ior trichotomy',
and thc rhrcc onc inIorms thc rcIationshi oI thc IacuItics
rcquircdbythchncartsimagination,undcrstanding,souIwith
tastc. thchrstthrccIacuIticsarcunitcdonIythankstothcIourth,'
aIhrmsthc notctoaragrah y o| . quanrryoIthc}udgmcnts uni
vcrsaI, articuIar, singuIar|, quaIry aIhrmativc, ncgativc, indcI-
initc| , rcIaron catcgoricaI, hyothcticaI, dis}unctivc|, moJaIry
robIcmatic, asscrtoric, aodcictic| . 1abIc o}rwcIvc Mow thcrc
arc as many urc conccts oI thc undcrstanding, originary and
nondcrivabIc conccts, as thcrc arc IogicaI Iunctions in }udg-
mcnts. Whcncc thc dcductionoI thc tabIc oI catcgorics against
thcsocaIIcdgrammaticaIcmiricismoIAristotIc|IromthctabIc
oI}udgmcnts.
KantthusimortsthistabIc, thistabIcau 1a}cIj, this boarJ
this borJcr into thc anaIytic oI acsthctic }udgmcnt. This is a
IcgitimatcocrationsinccitisaqucstionoI}udgmcnts. ut itis
a transortation which is not without its robIcms and artIuI
vioIcncc. aIogcaIIramcistransoscdandIorccdintobcimoscd
onanonIogcaIstructurc,astructurcwhichnoIongcrcsscntiaIIy
conccrns a rcIation to thc ob} cct as ob} cct oI knowIcdgc. Thc
acsthctic}udgmcnt,asKantinsists,isnotaknowIcdgc}udgmcnt.
ThcIramchtsbadIy. ThcdiIhcuItycanbcIcItIrom thchrst
aragrah oI thc book, Irom thc hrst momcnt oI thc }udgmcnt
oItastcconsidcrcdIromthcointoIvicwoIquaIity.' Thc} udg-
mcnt oI tastc is acsthctic'. in this singIc casc, not Iorcsccn by
thcanaIyticoIconcctsand}udgmcntsinthcothcr Crrquc, thc
}udgmcntisnotaknowIcdgc}udgmcnt.'Hcnccitdocsnotcomc
undcrthctransccndcntaIIogicwhoscboarJhasbccnbroughtin.
ThcvioIcnccoIthcIramingmuItiIics.ItbcginsbycncIosing
thcthcoryoIthcacsthcticinathcoryoIthcbcautiIuI, thcIattcr
inathcoryoItastcandthcthcoryoItastcinathcoryoI}udgmcnt.
Thcsc arc dccisions which couId bc caIIcd cxtcrnaI. thc dcIimi
tationhas cnormousconscqucnccs, but accrtainintcrnaIcohcr
cncccanbcsavcdatthiscost.ThcsamcdocsnotaIyIoranothcr
gcsturcoIIramingwhich, byintroducingthcborJ docsvioIcncc
tothcinsidcoIthcsystcmandtwistsitsrocrarticuIationsout
oI shac. This must thcrcIorc bc thc gcsturc oIrimary intcrcst
tousiIwc arc scckinga rigorousIycIIcctivc gri.
: z. !n EngIIsh In thc tcxt.
7
o 7hc 7ruth In PoIntIn
InthccourscoIthchnaIdcIimitation thcoryoItastcasthcory
oI}udgmcnt|, KantaIcs, thcn, ananaIyticoIIogicaI}udgmcnts
toananaIyticoIacsthctic}udgmcntsatthcvcrymomcntthathc
isinsisting onthcirrcducibiIityoIthc onckind to thcothcr. Hc
ncvcr}ustihcs thisIraming, nor thc constraint it artihciaIIy im
oscs onadiscourscconstantIythrcatcncdwithovcrIIowing J
borJcmcnr| . Inthc hrstnotctothchrstagc, Kantsays thatthc
IogcaIIunctions oI}udgmcnt scrvcdhimasa guidc AnIcrung .
This notctouchcsona diIhcuIty so dccisivc that onc cannotscc
whyit docs not constitutc thc rinciaI tcxt oIwhich it Iorms
thcgroundbass, thatis, thcunwrittcnorundcrwrittcn sacc, thc
suoscd rangc oI thc harmonics. Hcrc it is. Thc dchnition oI
tastcwhichhcrc scrvcs asa Ioundation is thcIoIIowing. tastc is
thcIacuItyoI}udgingthcbcautiIuI. utwhat is thcnrcquircdin
ordcr to caII an ob} cctbcautiIuI must bc discovcrcd cnrJcckcn|
by thc anaIysis oI }udgmcnts oI tastc. I intcrvcntion oI thc hrst
crson in a Iootnotc| havc Iookcd Ior thc momcnts Momcnrc|
raiscd by this }udgmcnt in its rcIIcction, taking as a guidc thc
IogicaI Iunctions Ior in }udgmcnts oI tastc thcrc is stiII aIways
mmcrnoch| a rcIation to thc undcrstanding. It is thc momcnt
oI quaIity that I havc cxamincd hrst, bccausc it is thc onc that
thc acsthctic }udgmcnt oIthc bcautiIuI takcs into considcration
hrst.'
This notc is to thc titIc, first Momcnt oI thc }udgmcnt oI
Tastc Considcrcd Irom thc Point oI Vicw oI uaIity.' Thc notc
thus rcccdcs, in a ccrtainway, thc tcxt oI thc cxosition, it is
rcIativcIydctachcdIromit. ThcsamcgocsIorthcarcnthcsisit
incIudcs . Iorin}udgmcntsoItastcthcrcisstiIIaIwaysmmcr
noch| arcIationto thc undcrstanding| .'Thisarcnthcsisinscrtcd
in anotcwhichisncithcrinsidcnoroutsidcthccxosition,nci
thcrinsidcnoroutsidc its contcnt| attcmts to}ustiIyand itis
thconIysuchattcmtthcIramc oI thc cxosition, namcIythc
anaIyticoI}udgmcntwhoscborJhasbccnhastiIyimortcdatthc
ocning oI thc cxosition.
cjorcthcnotcanditsarcnthcsis bcIorc, iIoncIooksatthc
sacc oI thc agc Irom bottom to to, but aItcr iI onc kccs to
thc ordcr oI thc cxosition which Iaccs thc notc at thc to oI
thcagc,atthcIaccoIitsrcIcrcncc|,anothcr, bricIcrarcnthcsis
IormsaockctinthcsuoscdIymain'tcxtandisnvagnarcJ
in it, in a scnsc. In ordcr todistinguishwhcthcr ornot a thing
isbcautiIuI, wc do not rcIatc thcrcrcscntation to thc ob}cctby
mcans oI thc undcrstanding, with a vicw to knowIcdgc, but to
Pancncc
7
:
thcsub} cct andto its IccIing oIIcasurcorunIcasurc, bymcans
oIthcimaginationunitcdcrhas with thcundcrstanding, vcI
Icchr mr Jcm \crsranJc vcrbunJcnj '
Thc two arcnthcscs, arcrga insidc and outsidc thc cxosi
tion, havc thc samc ob}cct, thc samc hnaIity. thc }ustihcation
which is visibIy vcry awkward| oI thc imortcd Iramc, oI thc
anaIyticimoscdaniIIassurcdrccoursc,inordcrtogctthctabIc
by and makc thcboardhtonahyothcticaI Iiaison'withthc
undcrstanding, towhichthc}udgmcntoItastc, aIthoughthcrcis
nothingIogicaIaboutit,suoscdIyaIwaysstiIIhasarcIation.
LikcanoIdIiaisondiIhcuIttobrcakoIIorasccondhandIramc
oncishavingtroubIcscIIingand thatoncwantstounIoadatany
ricc.
ThcIramcoIthis anaIytic oIthcbcautiIuI, withitsIourmo
mcnts, is thus Iurnishcd by thc transccndcntaIanaIytic, Ior thc
soIcand badrcason that thc imagination, thc csscntiaI rcsourcc
oIthcrcIationtobcauty, iscrhas Iinkcdtothcundcrstanding,
thatthcrciscrhasandsrII vcIIcchr,nochj somcundcrstand
ingin thcrc. Thc rcIationtothcundcrstanding, whichisncithcr
ccrtainnorcsscntiaI, thusIurnishcsthcIramcoI thiswhoIc dis
coursc, and, within it, oI thc discoursc on thc Iramc. Without
Iorcingthings,butinanycascinordcrtodcscribcaccrtainIorcing
onKant' sart, wc shaIIsaythatthcwhoIcIramcoIthcanaIytic
oI thc bcautiIuI Iunctions, with rcscct to that thc contcnt or
intcrnaIstructurcoIwhichis tobcdctcrmincd, Iikc aarcrgon,
it has aII its charactcristics. ncithcr simIy intcrnaI nor simIy
cxtcrnaI, not IaIIing to onc sidc oI thc work as onc couId havc
said oI an cxcrguc, indiscnsabIc to cncrgca in rdcr toIibcratc
surIus vaIuc by cncIosingIabor any markct and hrst oI aII thc
icturc markct thus rcsuoscs a roccss oI Iraming. and an
cIIcctivcdc constructivcIaborcannothcrcdowithoutathcoryoI
thcIramc|, itiscaIIcdu andgathcrcdtogcthcras a suIcmcnt
IromthcIackaccrtainintcrnaI'indctcrminationinthcvcry
thing that it comcs to Iramc. This Iack, which cannot bc dctcr
mincd, IocaIizcd, situatcd, arcsrcJinsidc or outsidc bcjorc rhc
jramng, is simuItancousIystiII using conccts which bcIong,
rcciscIy, to thc cIassicaI Iogic oI thc Iramc, hcrc to Kant's dis-
courscbothroJucrandroJucron oIthcIramc. IIoncaIics
to it thc ruIc dchncd in thc CIarihcation by ExamIcs,' and iI
itbccomcsinits turnancxamIcoIwhatitaIIows ustoconsidcr
as an cxamIc Iramc dcscribcd in thc Iramc| , thcn onc can act
as though thc contcnt oI thc anaIytic oI }udgmcnt wcrc a work
sKwQwWol
7}
oIart, aicturcwhoscIramc, imortcdIrom thcothcr Crrquc,
wouId by virtuc oI its IormaI bcauty Iay thc roIc oIarcrgon.
And iIitwcrc simIy an attractivc, scductivc, amusing cxcrguc,
not coocrating with what is rocr to thc work, a urc Ioss oI
vaIuc and wastc oI surIus vaIuc, thcn it wouId onIy bc adorn
mcnt. utitsohacns thatitisthis anaIytic oI}udgmcntitscII
which, in its Iramc, aIIows us to dchnc thc rcquircmcnt oI Ior-
maIity, thcoositionoIthcIormaIandthcmatcriaI, oIthcurc
andthcimurc, oIthcrocrandthcimrocr, oIthcinsidcand
thc outsidc. It is thc anaIytic which Jcrcrmncs thc Iramc as
arcrgon whichbothconstitutcsitandruinsit I' abmc| ,makcs
it both hoId as that which causcs to hoId togcthcr, that which
constitutcs, mounts, inIays, scts, bordcrs, gathcrs, trimsso many
ocrations gathcrcd togcthcr by thc Enjassungl and coIIasc. A
IramciscsscntiaIIyconstructcdandthcrcIorcIragiIc. suchwouId
bcthccsscnccortruthoIthcIramc.IIithadany.utthistruth'
can no Iongcr bc a truth,' it no morc dchncs thc transccndcn
taIity than it docs thc accidcntaIity oI thc Iramc, mcrcIy its
arcrgonaIry
PhiIosohy wants to arraign it and can' t managc. ut what
hasroduccdandmaniuIatcdthcIramcutscvcrythingtowork
in ordcr tocIIacc thcIramc cIIcct, most oItcn bynaturaIizingit
to inhnity, in thc hands oI Cod onc can vcriIy this in Kant| .
OcconstructionmustncithcrrcIramcnordrcamoIthcurc and
simIcabscnccoIthcIramc. Thcsc twoaarcntIycontradictory
gcsturcs arc thcvcry oncsand thcy arc systcmaticaIIyindisso
ciabIcoI wharishcrc dcconstructcd.
II thc ocrations cngagcd and thc critcria rooscd by thc
anaIytic oI thc bcautiIuI dccnd on this arcrgonaIit iI aII thc
vaIuc oositions whichdominatc thc hiIosohy oI art bcIorc
andsinccKant|dccndonitinthcircrtincncc, thcirrigor, thcir
urity, thcirroricty, thcnthcyarc aIIcctcdbythis Iogic oIthc
arcrgon whichis morcowcrIuI than that oI thc anaIytic. Onc
couId IoIIow in dctaiI thc conscqucnccs oI this inIcctious aIIcc
tion. Thcy cannot bc IocaI. Thc rcIIcctivc ocration which wc
havc}ustaIIowcdtomakcitscIIwritingonthcIramcorhavcitscII
writtcn onthc Iramc this iswriting/writtcnon thcIramc| . a
gcncraI Iaw which is no Iongcr a mcchanicaI or tcIcoIogicaI Iaw
: . Lc cc sc dcconstuIt'. thc Ircnch pronomnaI vcrb rctaIns
both passIvc and rct!cxIvc va!ucs.
:(. Ccccst crtsurccadrc'. ccrIt canaIsobcapIcccotwrtIng'
74
7hc 7tuth In PoIntIn
oInaturc, oIthc accord orthcharmonyoIthcIacuItics ctc. |, but
a ccrtain rccatcd disIocation, a rcguIatcd, irrcrcssibIc disIoca
tion, which makcs thc Iramc in gcncraI crack, undocs it at thc
corncrsin its quoins and} oints, turnsits intcrnaIIimitinto an
cxtcrnaI Iimit, takcs its thickncssinto account, makcsusscc thc
icturc Irom thc sidc oIthc canvas orthc wood, ctc.
To notc onIythchrstconscqucncc oIthcinitiaI Iorcing, scc
thccndoIthchrstnotc anothcrarcrgonwhichIramcsboththc
tcxtand, within itaswithin itscII, thcarcnthcsis| . }ustasKant
cannot}ustiIyinaIIrigorthcimortationoIthcanaIyticoI}udg
mcnt,hccannot}ustiIythcorJcrhcIoIIowsinthcaIicationoI
thcIramc, oI thc Iour catcgorics oIthcanaIyticoIconccts. Mo
morcthanwiththc transort oIthc tabIc 1ajcI| , i. c. , thcIramc,
docsthcordcroIcxositionhcrcmanagctorationaIizcitsintcrcst
hiIosohicaIIy. Its motivationhidcs bchind thc arbitrarincss oI
hiIosohicaIdccrcc.ThccxositionbcginswiththcgrouoIthc
two marhcmarcaI catcgorics quanrry anJ quaIry| . Why not
bcginwith thctwo JynamccatcgoricsrcIaron anJmoJaIry| !
And why invcrt thc ordcr oI thc mathcmaticaI catcgorics thcm
scIvcs, as it was IoIIowcd in thc originaI cxosition quantity
bcIorc quaIity| ` This Iattcr rcvcrsaI is cxIaincd, to bc surc, by
thc Iact that knowIcdgc is ncithcr thc cnd nor thc cIIcct oI thc
}udgmcnt oI tastc quantity hcrc, univcrsaIity| is not thc rsr
vaIucoI a} udgmcnt oItastc. EndoIthcnotc. tisthc momcnt
oI quaIity that I havc cxamincd hrst, bccausc it is thc onc that
thc acsthctic}udgmcnt oI thc bcautiIuI takcs into considcration
hrst.' Why hrst zucrsr| ! Thc riority is not rcscribcd by thc
tabIc, bythcordcroI}udgmcnt, bythcIogicrocrtothcIramc.
Mothing in thc IogicaI| anaIytic as such can account Ior this
riori ty.MowiIarcvcrsaIoIthcIogicaIordcrtakcsIacchcrcIor
rcasonswhicharcnotIogicaI,whyshouIditnot continuc` What
isthcruIc or criticaI Iimithcrc`
uaIity thc disintcrcstcd charactcr| is thc vcry thing that
dctcrmincsthcIormaIityoIthcbcautiIuIob} cct . itmustbcurc
oIaIIattraction, oIaII scductivcowcr, itmustrovokcnocmo
tion, romiscnocn}oymcnt. Thcoosron bctwccn thcIormaI
and thc matcriaI, dcsign and coIor at Icast insoIar as it is non
IormaI|, comosition and sound at Icast insoIar as it is nonIor
: y . abmc cn coIndansscs angIcs ct scs artIcu!atIons. thctrans
IatIon Ioscs a ccrtaIn scnsc ot sIyncss, C. L rcgard cn coIn, a sIdcways
gancc. Lscotthcdom on thc sdc wouIdIntcrtcrctoomuchwth thc
Insstcncc on cocrs.
Pancncc
7,
maI|, thc IormaI arcrgon and thc arcrgon Ior show or adom
mcnt
'
thc oosition bctwccn thc good and thc bad arcrgon
which in itscII is ncithcr good nor bad| thus dccnds on thc
Iraming oI this quaIity, oI thisIramccIIcct caIIcd quaIity, vaIuc
oI vaIuc, and with which, vioIcntIy, cvcrything sccms to bcgin
Position. oosition. Iramc.
Likcwisc, in thc CIarihcation,' thc discoursc onsoundand
oncoIorishcIdinthcangIcoIthc twomathcmaticaIcatcgorics
quaIityandquantity|cvcnasthcwhoIcanaIyticoIthcbcautiIuI
isundoing, ccascIcssIyandasiIwithoutwantingto, thcIaboroI
thcIramc.
Thc Iamc Iabors rravaIIc| indccd. PIacc oI Iabor, structur
aIIy bordcrcdoriginoIsurIusvaIuc, i. c. , ovcrIIowcd JcborJcc|
on thcsc two bordcrs by what it ovcrIIows, it givcs rravaIIc|
indccd. Likc wood. It crcaks and cracks, brcaks down and dis
Iocatcs cvcn as it coocratcs in thc roduction oI thc roduct,
ovcrows it and is dcduc t| cd Irom it. It ncvcr Icts itscII bc
simIy cxoscd.
ThcanaIytic oI thc bcautiIuI thus givcs, ccascIcssIyundocs
thc Iabor oI thcIramc to thc cxtcnt that, whiIc Ictting itscIIbc
squarcd u by thc anaIytic oI conccts and by thc doctrinc oI
}udgmcnt it dcscribcs thc abscncc oI concct in thc activity oI
tastc. Thc bcautiIuI is what is rcrcscntcd without concct as
ob} cct oIa univcrsaI WohIgcjaIIcn. ' This dchnition sccondmo
mcnt, catcgory oI quantity| dcrivcs Irom thc quaIitativc dchni
tion disintcrcstcdncss| . Thc ob} cct oI a disintcrcstcd Icasurc
docs not dccnd on an cmiricaI incIination, it thcrcIorc ad
drcsscs itscII to Irccdom and touchcs cvcryoncno mattcrwh
whcrc cvcryonc can bc touchcd. It is thcrcIorc univcrsaI. Mow
in cxIaining why this univcrsaIity must bc without concct,
Kant cxhibits in a scnsc thc Iorcingimosing an anaIytic oI
conccts on a roccss without concctbut hc }ustihcs his o
cration by anargumcnt that onc can considcr to bc thc consr
ruron, thatwhichmakcs thcwhoIccdihccoIthcthird Crrquc
hoIdtogcthcrandstanduright in thc middIc oI its two grcat
wings thc critiquc oI acsthctic }udgmcnt and thc critiquc oI
tcIcoIogicaI }udgmcnt| . This argumcnt is anaIog It ocratcs
r e. ThIsscnscot thcvcrbtrovoIIcr ,I.c., togIvcor warp, otwood or
mctaIlcommunIcatcswIthanImportantscnscotjoucr ,lItcraIIytopIay,'
but aIso to vc' H thc scnsc otthcrc bcIngpIay'or gIvc'D astccrIng
whccI, torcxampIcl , scc hcrc p. 8 : .
7hc 7ruth In PoIntIng
cvcrywhcrc in thc book, and onc can systcmaticaIIy vcriIy its
cIIcct. At thc Iacc whcrc wc arc in thc cxositionits cross
roadsit garhcrs rogcrhcr withoutconcct and concct, uni
vcrsaIity wrhour concct and univcrsaIity wrh concct, thc
wrhour and thc wrh, it thus Icgitimatcs thc vioIcncc, thc
occuation oI a nonconcctuaI hcId by thc grid quaJrIIagc| oI
a concctuaI Iorcc. Without and with at thc samc timc amaj .
yrcason oIits quaIitativc univcrsaIity, thc }udgmcnt oItastc
rcscmbIcs thcIogicaI|udgmcntwhich, noncthcIcss, itncvcris,
in aII rigor. Thc nonconcctuaI rcscmbIcs thc concctuaI. A
vcry strangc rcscmbIancc, a singuIar roximity or aIhnity

hn
Ichkcrj which, somcwhcrc to bc sccihcd Iatcr| draws out
oI mmcss an intcrrctation oI thc bcautiIuI which hrmIy rc
| ccts imitation. Thcrc is no contradiction hcrc which is not
rcaroriatcd by thc cconomy oI hyss as mmcss
Hc who takcs a disintcrcstcd Icasurc without cn}oymcnt
andwithoutconcct| inthcbcautiIuIwiIIscakoIthcbcautiIuI
asiI aIs ob bcautywcrc a quaIity cscha]cnhcr oIthcob}cct
andthc }udgmcnt IogicaI Iorming a cognition oI thc Ob}cct by
concctsoIit| , aIthoughitisonIyacsthctic, andcontainsmcrcIy
arcIcrcncc czchungj oIthcrcrcscntationoI thc ob| cctto thc
Sub|cctbccauscitstiIIbcars thisrcscmbIancc

hnIchkcr. aI
hnity, roximity, IamiIytic| tothcIogicaI |udgmcnt, that itmay
bcrcsuoscdtobcvaIidIoraIImcn.utthisunivcrsaIitycannot
sringIrom conccts. forIromconcctsthcrcisno transitionto
thc IccIing oI Icasurc or disIcasurc savc in thc casc oI urc
racticaI Iaws, which, howcvcr, carryan intcrcstwith thcm, and
such an intcrcst docs not attach to thc urc |udgmcnt oI tastc| '
Mcrcdith, 'r | .
ThcdiscoursconcoIorandsoundbcIongst othcCIarihcation
byExamIcs,'inthccourscoIthccxositionoIthcthirdcatcgory.
thcdynamiccatcgoryoIhnaIity. Thc}udgmcntoItastcrcIatcsto
aurcIyIormaIhnaIity,withoutconcctandwithoutcnd,with
out a concctuaI and dctcrminant rcrcscntation oIan cnd. Thc
two mathcmaticaI catcgoricsarcnoncthcIcss indiscnsabIc. sound
and coIor arc cxcIudcd as arrracrons onIy to thc cxtcnt oI thcir
nonIormaIity, thcir matcriaIity. As urc Iorms, sound and coIor
cangivc risctoaunivcrsaIarcciation, in conIormitywiththc
quantityoIa|udgmcntoItastc, thcycanrocurcadisintcrcstcd
: /. Ct. EconomimcsIs.'}. L.
Pancnccr
77
Icasurc conIorming tothc quaIity oIa |udgmcnt oItastc. Thc
scnsationsoIsoundandcoIorcanquitcrightIy'bchcIdbcautiIuI
to thc cxtcnt that thcy arc urc'. this dctcrmination oIurity
conccms onIy thc Iorm, which aIonc can bc univcrsaIIy com
municabIcwithccrtainty.'AccordingtoKant,thcrcarctwoways
oI acccding toIormaIurity. byanonscnsory, nonscnsuaIrcIIcc
tion,andbythcrcguIarIayoIimrcssions, iIoncassumcswith
EuIcr' that coIors arc vibrations oI thc cthcr uIsus| at rcguIar
intcrvaIs, andu IormaIanaIogybctwccnsoundsandcoIors|sounds
consistinarcguIarrhythminthcvibrationsoIthcdisturbcdcthcr.
KanthadagrcatdcaIoIdiIhcuItycomingtoaconcIusiononthis
oint. utthcIactrcmains thatonthis hyothcsis oncwouIdbc
dcaIingnotwithmatcriaIcontcntsoIrcccivcdscnsationsbutwith
IormaI dctcrminations. That is why simIc coIor is urc coIor
and can thcrcIorcbcIonginsidc thcbcautiIuI, givingrisctouni
vcrsaIIycommunicabIcarcciations. MixcdcoIorscannotdo this.
Thc cmiricist motiI that simIc coIor docs not givc risc to a
transmissibIc crcction| sccms to havc bccn invcrtcd, but it is
hcrcnotaqucstionoIdctcrminantcrcctionbutonIyoIIcasurc
orunIcasurc.
This ambivaIcncc oI coIor vaIorizcd as IormaI urity or as
rcIation, dcvaIorizcd as scnsorymattcr, bcauty on thc onchand,
attraction on thc othcr, urc rcscncc in both cascs| is raiscd to
thc sccondowcr squarcd| whcnit is a qucstionoIthc coIoroI
thcIramc goIJcnc Rahmcn, Ior cxamIc|, whcn thc arcrgonaI
cquivocity oI thc coIor comcs to intcnsiIy thc arcrgonaI cqui
vocityoIthcIramc. WhatwouIdbcthccquivaIcntoIthis squarc
Ior music
itwiIIbcsaidthatnotaIIIramcsarc, orhavcbccn,
or wiII bcsquarc, rcctanguIar, or quadranguIar hgurcs, nor cvcn
simIy anguIar. TabIcs and tabIcaux 1ajcIj Iikcwisc not. This is
truc. a criticaIandsystcmaticandtyoIogicaIhistoryoIIraming

7hc 7tuth In PoIntIn
sccmsossibIcandncccssary.utthcangIcingcncraI, thcquad
ranguIar in articuIar wiII not bc |ust onc oI its ob| ccts among
othcrs. Evcrything that is writtcn hcrc is vaIid Ior thc Iogic oI
arcrgonaIbordcringD gcncraI, butthcriviIcgcoIcadrc'amc|,
thoughitsccmsmorcIortunatcinthcLatinthaninthcCcrmanic
Ianguagcs, isnotIortuitous
Kantian qucs
tion. thc rcIation oI thc concct to thc nonconcct udown,
IcItright| , to thc body, to thc signaturc which is Iaccd on'
thc Iramc. in Iact, somctimcs structuraIIy, aIways. Thc ros
thcsis
which docs not run aIong as though
on whccIs in thc third Crrquc as soon as onc Iooks a IittIc
morccIoscIyat thccamIc,thatcamIcoIancxamIcwhich
Iorms and is Iormcd by thc Iramc II things run as though on
whccIs, this is crhas bccausc things arcn't going so wcII, by
rcason oI anintcrnaI inhrmity in thcthcsiswhichdcmands to
bc suIcmcntcd by a rosthcsis or onIy cnsurcs thc rogrcss
oI thc cxosition with thc aid oI a whccIchair or a chiId's
ushchair. Thus onc ushcs Iorward somcthing which cannot
stand u, docs not crcct itscII by itscII in its roccss. framing
: 8. Whcn Parcrgon' was nrst pubIIshcd, I had not yct rcad Mcycr
SchapIro, SurqucIqucsprobImcsdcscmIotIqucdcI'artvIsucI. champct
vchIcuIc dans Ics sIcs IconIqucs,' transIatcd IntoIrcnch by}canCIaudc
Lcbcnsztc}n, CrItIquc j : y : 6 : p)jl, 8(j66, orIgInaIIy pubIIshcd In Sc-
nIotIco 1 _ no. j , : p6p . ::j~(: .
ThcrcadcrwIIInndmorcthanoncIndIcatIonconccmIngthchIstory'
ot tramIng, Its Iatc InvcntIon,' thc not vcry naturaI' charactcr ot thc
rcctanguIartramc,'aswcIIasthctramcthatbcndsandtumsInwardInto
thcncIdotthcpIcturctocomprcssorcntangIcthc ngurcs ,thc trumcauot
SouIIIac, thc Imago HomInIs In thc Echtcmach GospcIs . . . l' p. ::8l .
! aIso rctcr, as gocs wIthout sayIng, to oL ot Lcbcnsztc}n's pubIIca
tIons.}. L.
Pancnccr
7
p
aIways suorts and contains that which, by itscII, coIIascs
Iorthwith, cxc
this isdcmonstratcd
bycxamIc, bythcrobIcmoIthccxamIcandthcrcIIcctivc|udg
mcnt.Mowwhatdocsthc CrrqucojPurcRcasontcIIus`Thatcx
amIcsarcthcwhccIchairsrouIcrrcs|oI|udgmcnt.Thcfrcnchtrans-
Iators somctimcs say thc crutchcs' oI |udgmcnt. but it rcaIIy is
whccIchairs GagcIwagcnj,notskatcboardsIanchcs-a-rouIcrrcs|but
thcIittIcwhccIcdcarsinwhichchiIdrcn,thcoId,orthcsickarcushcd,
thoscwhohavcnotcnough|udgmcnt,cnoughgoodscnsc,thatIacuIty
oInaturaI|udcnt,thcbcstsharcdthingthisisnotthcscnsuscom
munsoIthcthirdCrrqucjthatiscaIIcdthisisKant'swordMur
rcrwThoscwhodonothavccnoughoIthismatcmaIWrz,thcsick,
imbcciIcs, nccd whccIchairs, cxamIcs. ExamIcs arc thus thc
whccIchairsoIthcIacuItyoI|udging GangcIwagcnJcrUrrcIskrajrj
andthoscwhoIackmangcIrjthisnaturaItaIcntwiIInotbcabIctodo
withoutthcm.'ThcwhccIchairs,howcvcr, donotrcIacc|udgmcnt.
nothingcanrcIaccthcMurrcrwrz,thcIackoIwhichcannotbcsu-
IicdbyanyschooI JcsscnMangcIkcncSchuIccrscrzcnkannj . Thc
cxcmIarywhccIchairsarcthusrosthcscswhichrcIaccnothing.ut
IikcaIIcxamIcscscIcnj,asHcgcIwiIIhavcointcdout,thcyIay,
thcrcisIayinthcm,thcygivcroomtoIayTothccsscncc,bcsidcthc
csscncc ccrj,HcgcIgocsontomakccIcar.Thusthcycaninvcrt,
unbaIancc, incIinc thc naturaI movcmcnt into a arcrgonaI movc
mcnt,divcrtthccncrgyoIthccrgon,introduccchanccandthcabyss
intothcncccssityoIthcMurrcrrz.notacontraryordcrbutanaIca-
torysidcstcwhichcanmakconcIosconc'shcadsuddcnIy,aRussian
rouIcttcu oncutsintoIayIcasurcwithoutcn|oymcnt,thcdcath
drivcandthcmougoIIaborinthccxcricnccoIthcbcautiIuI

oIthcarcrgongctonc's
moug donc. Likc thc cntircIyothcr oI hctcroaIIcction, in thc
Icasurc without cn|oymcnt and without concct, it rovokcs and
dcIimits thc Iabor oI moug, Iabor n gcncraI as Iabor oI
8o 7hc 7ruth In PoIntIn
moug
Ic rravaIJ arcr
rcscrc, savings,
arsimony, stockthc scIIrotcction thc work crgonj, cncrgy
caturcd, hcmmcd thc binding' \crbnJungjoIcncrgy, condition
Ior thc mastcry' Hcschaj oI thc Icasurc rinciIc. thc rcsuIt
isnot simIc'tobccontucd|
thc scIIrotcctionthcwork,
oIcncrgcawchbccomcscrgononIyas om|arcrgon. notagainst
Ircc and mL and urc and ucttcrcd cncrgy urc act and totaI
rcscnccoIcncrgca,thcAristotcIianrimcmovcr|butagainstwhat
isIackngin it, notagainst thcIack as a osabIc or oosabIc ncg
ativc, asubstantiaIcmtincss, adctcrminabIcandbordcrcdabscncc
stiII vcrihabIc csscncc and rcscncc| butagainstthc imossibiIity
oIacsrngJranccinitscontour,oIarraiingthchctcrogcncous
Jranccj in a osc, oIIocaIizing, cvcn in a mctacmiricaI way,
what mctahysics caIIs, as wc havc }ust sccn, Iack, oI making it
comcback, cquaIorsimiIartoitsc aJacquaroomoossj, toits
rocr Iacc, according to a rocr tra| cctory, rcIcrabIy circuIar
castration as truth| . AIthough aarcntIy ooscdrbccausc o
oscdthcsctwoborJcrngdctcrminationsoIwhatthcarcrgonis
working against thc ocration oI Ircc cncrgy and oI urc roduc
: . ThIs synta suntransIatabIc as It stands. dcpcndIngon thc sc
qucnccnto whIch It was Inscrtcd, It couIdmcan, thcl work to adom,'
thclworktoparry,' thclworktobcadomcd,' thclworktobcparrIcd,'
ctc.
Pancnccr r
tty or thc ocration oI thc csscntiaI Iack| arc rhc samc
mctahysicaI| .

thatwhichis outsidc thcIramcuttingintocthargy

andabsoIutcvaIucoIthcIramc| . naturaIizationoI thcIramc Thcrc
isnonaturaIIrmc. 1hcrc s Iramc, but thc Iramc Jocs nor csr.
Thc arcrgonaotroc dccoration, show, arry| o} rhc ri
mary roccsscs, oI Ircc cncrgy, i. c. , oI thc thcorcticaI hction'
En sychschcr Aarar, Jcr nur Jcn Pmarorgng bcsassc,
csrcrr zwar unscrcs Wsscns nchr unJ sr nso}crnc cnc rhco
rcrschc Fkronj . So onIy a ccrtain racticc oI thcorcticaI hction
can work against| thc Iramc, makc or Ict it| Iay it| against|
itscII Oon't Iorgct, noncthcIcss, that thc conrcnr, thc objccr oI
this thcorcticaI hction thc Ircc cncrgy oI thc originary roccss,
its urc roductivity| is mctahysics, ontothcoIogy itsc. Thc
racticc oIhctionaIways rns thc risk oI bcIicving in it orhaving
us bcIicvc in it. Thc racrcc oI hction must thcrcIorc gard
against having mctahysicaI truth aImcd oII on it oncc again
undcr thc IabcI oI hction. Thcrc is hction and hction. Mcccssity
hcrc oI thc angIciagonaIitywhcrc things work and Iay and
vc, and oI showing u thc rcmnants oIthcangIcin round Iramcs
thcrc arc such things| . HcgcI. sirit Iinkcd to thc acarancc oI
thc round Iorm
cvcrythingwiII owcr at thc cdgc
zo. 'Ic ncnc ,mctaphysIqucl . aIso, thc,mctaphysIcaIl samc, thc
samc , mctaphysIcsl.
i
7hc 7ruth In PoIntIn
oIa dcconsccratcd tomb. thcIIowcrwithIrccorvagucbcautyuI-
chruJo vaga andnotadhcrcntbcautyuIchruJoaacrcnsj . It
wiIIbc,Iorarbitrary| cxamIc, acoIorIcssand sccnt!csstuIimorc
surcIythancoIor, sccntisIosttoartandtothcbcautiIuIaraah
y | . |ust trytoIramcacrIumc| which KantdoubtIcssdidnotick
in HoIIand but in thc book oI a ccrtain Saussurc whom hc rcad
IrcqucntIy at thc timc ut a Iowcr, cscI cnc Ic, is
hcIdtobcbcautiIuIbccauscincrccivingitonccncountcrsahnaIity
which, |udgcd aswc |udgc it, docs not rcIatc toany cnd'
cvcn