Thefreedomoftheactofwill，however，isnottobedefinedasalibertyofindifference（libertasindifferentae），that，is，asacapacityofchoosingtoactfororagainstthelaw。Thevoluntaryprocess，indeed，viewedasaphenomenalappearance，givesmanyexamplesofthischoosinginexperience;andsomehaveaccordinglysodefinedthefree—will。Forfreedom，asitisfirstmadeknowablebythemorallaw，isknownonlyasanegativepropertyinus，asconstitutedbythefactofnotbeingnecessitatedtoactbysensibleprinciplesofdetermination。Regardedasanoumenalreality，however，inreferencetomanasapurerationalintelligence，theactofthewillcannotbeatalltheoreticallyexhibited;norcanitthereforebeexplainedhowthispowercanactnecessitatinglyinrelationtothesensibleactivityintheprocessofchoice，orconsequentlyinwhatthepositivequalityoffreedomconsists。Onlythusmuchwecanseeintoandcomprehend，thatalthoughman，asabeingbelongingtotheworldofsense，exhibits—asexperienceshows—acapacityofchoosingnotonlyconformablytothelawbutalsocontrarytoit，hisfreedomasarationalbeingbelongingtotheworldofintelligencecannotbedefinedbyreferencemerelytosensibleappearances。Forsensiblephenomenacannotmakeasuper—sensibleobject—suchasfree—willis—intelligible;norcanfreedomeverbeplacedinthemerefactthattherationalsubjectcanmakeachoiceinconflictwithhisownlaw—givingreason，althoughexperiencemayprovethatithappensoftenenough，notwithstandingourinabilitytoconceivehowitispossible。Foritisonethingtoadmitapropositionasbasedonexperience，andanotherthingtomakeitthedefiningprincipleandtheuniversaldifferentiatingmarkoftheactoffree—will，initsdistinctionfromthearbitriumbrutums。
servum;becausetheempiricalpropositiondoesnotassertthatanyparticularcharacteristicnecessarilybelongstotheconceptioninquestion，butthisisrequisiteintheprocessofdefinition。
Freedominrelationtotheinternallegislationofreasoncanalonebeproperlycalledapower;thepossibilityofdivergingfromthelawthusgivenisanincapacityorwantofpower。Howthencantheformerbedefinedbythelatter？Itcouldonlybebyadefinitionwhichwouldaddtothepracticalconceptionofthefree—will，itsexerciseasshownbyexperience;butthiswouldbeahybriddefinitionwhichwouldexhibittheconceptioninafalselight。
Amorallypracticallawisapropositionwhichcontainsacategoricalimperativeorcommand。Hewhocommandsbyalaw（imperans）
isthelawgiverorlegislator。Heistheauthoroftheobligationthataccompaniesthelaw，butheisnotalwaystheauthorofthelawitself。Inthelattercase，thelawwouldbepositive，contingent，andarbitrary。ThelawwhichisimposeduponusaprioriandunconditionallybyourownreasonmayalsobeexpressedasproceedingfromthewillofasupremelawgiverortheDivinewill。