209、至此，本部分所论述的关于层级的教义，已通过存在于两个世界中的各种事物予以说明；如通过天使居住的天堂的层级，它们里面热和光的层级，大气的层级，人体内的各种事物，以及动物界和矿物界的各种事物。不过，这种教义适用范围更广；它不仅适用于自然现象，还适用于文明、道德和属灵事物，以及它们的一切细节。层级的教义之所以也适用于这类事物，原因有二。其一，凡能以某种事物来表述的事物都有一个被称为目的，原因和结果的三位一体在里面；这三者照高度层级而彼此关联。
其二，文明、道德和属灵事物并非某种从实质抽象出来的东西，而是实质。因为正如爱和智慧不是抽象事物，而是实质(如40-43节所示)，被称为文明、道德和属灵的一切事物同样是实质。人的确能从实质抽象出来思想这些事物，然而它们本身并不抽象；如情感与思维，仁与信，意愿与理解力。因为这些与爱和智慧的情形是一样的，即：它们在系实质的主体之外是不可能存在的，而是主体或实质的状态。下文我们将看到，正是这些状态的改变产生了它们的变化。实质也是指形式，因为没有形式，实质不可能存在。
209. The final level is the composite, vessel, and foundation of the prior levels. Examples of the principle of levels that is under discussion in this part have thus far been drawn from various things that occur in our two worlds--levels of the heavens where angels live, for example, levels of the warmth and light that surround them, of the atmospheres, of various parts of the human body, and of things in the animal and mineral kingdoms. The principle of levels has a wider range, though. Its range includes not only physical phenomena but also societal, moral, and spiritual ones in all their detail.
There are two reasons why the principle of levels includes such matters. The first is that there is a trine in everything that can be said to have attributes, a trine called purpose, means, and result; and these three are related to each other by vertical levels. The second reason is that no societal, moral, or spiritual phenomenon is abstract or disembodied. They are matters of substance, for just as love and wisdom are not abstractions but substances (as I have explained above in 40-43), so are all the things we refer to as societal, moral, and spiritual. We can of course think about them in the abstract, as disembodied, but in their own right they are not abstractions. Take feeling and thought, for example, or charity and faith, or volition and discernment. What applies to love and wisdom applies to them as well, namely that they do not happen apart from subjects that are substantial. They actually have to do with the state of those subjects or substances. We will see later [273, 316] that they are shifts of state that give rise to change. "Substance" means form as well, since there is no such thing as a formless substance.
209. The last degree embraces, contains, and is the foundation of the prior degrees. The doctrine of degrees presented in this part of the work has been illustrated so far by various phenomena that occur in one or the other worlds, as by the degrees of the heavens where angels dwell, the degrees of warmth and light in them, and the degrees of their atmospheres, and by various phenomena in the human body, and likewise in the animal and mineral kingdoms.
This doctrine, however, has a wider application. It extends not only to natural phenomena, but also to civil, moral and spiritual matters, and to each and all of their components.
The doctrine of degrees extends to these matters as well for two reasons. The first is that everything of which anything can be predicated has in it a trine called end, cause and effect, and these three are related to each other as degrees of height.
[2] The second reason is that no civil, moral or spiritual matter is something abstracted from substance, but rather they are substances. For as love and wisdom are not abstractions, but are substance (as we demonstrated above in nos. 40-43), so likewise are all matters which we call civil, moral and spiritual. One can indeed think of these abstractly from substances, but still in themselves they are not abstract.
Consider, for example, affection and thought, charity and faith, will and intellect. For the case with these is the same as with love and wisdom, namely, that they do not exist apart from the subjects of which they are predicated - subjects which are substances - but rather they are states of the subjects or substances. In subsequent discussions we will see that it is changes in these states which produce their variations.
By substance we mean also form, for substance does not exist without form.
209. THE ULTIMATE DEGREE IS THE COMPLEX, CONTAINANT AND BASE OF PRIOR DEGREES
The doctrine of degrees which is recounted in this Part has hitherto been illustrated by various things which exist in both worlds, as by the degrees of the heavens where the angels are, by the degrees of heat and light with them, and by the degrees of atmospheres, and by various things in the human body, and also in the animal and mineral kingdoms. But this doctrine is of wider application. It extends not only to natural things, but also to civil, moral, and spiritual things, and to all and each of their details. The reason that the doctrine of degrees even extends to such things is twofold. First, because in every thing of which anything can be predicated there is a trine which is called end, cause, and effect and these three are inter-related according to degrees of height. Secondly, everything civil, moral and spiritual is not something abstracted from substance, but they are substances. For as love and wisdom are not abstract things, but are substances (as was shown above40-43), so in like manner are all things which are called civil, moral and spiritual. These can indeed be thought of abstractly from substance, but yet in themselves they are not abstract; as for example, affection and thought, charity and faith, will and understanding, for it is the same with those as with love and wisdom, namely, they are not possible outside of subjects which are substances, but are states of subjects, that is, of substances. That they are changes of these, which present variations, will be seen in what follows. By substance is also understood form, for there cannot be substance without form.
209. THE OUTMOST DEGREE IS THE COMPLEX, CONTAINANT AND BASE OF THE PRIOR DEGREES.
The doctrine of degrees which is taught in this Part, has hitherto been illustrated by various things which exist in both worlds; as by the degrees of the heavens where angels dwell, by the degrees of heat and light with them, and by the degrees of atmospheres, and by various things in the human body, and also in the animal and mineral kingdoms. But this doctrine has a wider range; it extends not only to natural, but also to civil, moral, and spiritual things, and to each and all their details. There are two reasons why the doctrine of degrees extends also to such things. First, in every thing of which anything can be predicated there is the trine which is called end, cause, and effect, and these three are related to one another according to degrees of height. And secondly things civil, moral, and spiritual are not something abstract from substance, but are substances. For as love and wisdom are not abstract things, but substance (as was shown above, n. 40-43), so in like manner are all things that are called civil, moral, and spiritual. These may be thought of abstractly from substances, yet in themselves they are not abstract; as for example, affection and thought, charity and faith, will and understanding; for it is the same with these as with love and wisdom, in that they are not possible outside of subjects which are substances, but are states of subjects, that is, substances. That they are changes of these, presenting variations, will be seen in what follows. By substance is also meant form, for substance is not possible apart from form.
209. QUOD GRADUS ULTIMUS SIT COMPLEXUS, CONTINENS ET BASIS GRADUUM PRIORUM. Doctrina Graduum, quae in hac Parte traditur, hactenus illustrata est per varia quae in utroque Mundo existunt, ut per gradus Coelorum ubi sunt Angeli, per gradus caloris et lucis apud 1 illos, et per gradus athmosphaerarum, et per varia in corpore humano, et quoque in Regno animali et minerali. Sed doctrina illa est amplioris extensionis; extensio ejus non modo est ad Naturalia, sed etiam ad Civilia, Moralia et Spiritualia, et ad omnia et singula eorum. Causae quod doctrina graduum ad talia etiam se extendat, sunt binae: 2 Prima, quia in omni re, de qua aliquid praedicari potest, est trinum, quod vocatur finis, causa et effectus, et haec tria inter se sunt secundum gradus altitudinis.
[2] Altera est, quod omne Civile, Morale et Spirituale non sit aliquid abstractum a substantia, sed quod sint substantiae, nam sicut amor et sapientia non sunt res abstractae, sed quod sint substantia, ut supra 40-43 3 demonstratum est, ita similiter omnes res, quae civiles, morales et spirituales vocantur: hae quidem possunt abstracte a substantiis cogitari, sed usque in se non sunt abstractae: sicut pro exemplo, affectio et cogitatio, charitas et fides, voluntas et intellectus; cum his enim simile est, sicut est cum amore et sapientia, nempe quod non dentur extra subjecta, quae sunt substantiae, sed quod sint status subjectorum seu substantiarum; quod sint mutationes illorum, quae sistunt variationes, videbitur in sequentibus. Per substantiam etiam intelligitur forma, nam substantia absque forma non datur.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: apod
2. Prima editio: binae;
3. Prima editio: 43,