Degree

Use in the book

II says that opposites are identical in nature but different in degree. V and VII use degree to retain a likeness between finite mental creation and the creation of a universe, despite an enormous difference of scale.

VIII describes planes as groupings of degrees, and X restricts mental transmutation to things belonging to the same class. Love cannot become east, and courage cannot become hate: the intended transformation occurs along a relevant continuum.

Places to read

1. II The Seven Hermetic Principles · Block 15… “opposites are identical in nature, but different in degree; extremes meet; all truths are but half-truths; all paradoxes may be reconciled."—The Kybalion.”
2. V The Mental Universe · Block 8… “of an Infinite. The two are similar in kind, but infinitely different in degree. We shall examine more closely into the process of creation and manifestation as we proceed. But this” …
3. VII THE ALL in All · Block 6… “And yet it is merely a matter of degree—the same Principle is in operation—the Principle of Correspondence manifests in each—"As above, so Below; as Below, so above."”
4. VIII Planes of Correspondence · Block 5… “all of the three divisions are but ascending degrees of the great scale of Life, the lowest point of which is undifferentiated Matter, and the highest point that of Spirit. And,” …
5. X Polarity · Block 8… “transmutation always being between things of the same kind of different degrees. Take the case of a Fearful man. By raising his mental vibrations along the line of Fear- Courage, he” …

In this edition

Degree, scale, and kind are not standardized into one word. The distinction between kind and degree is retained because the proposed technique depends on it.

Reading the argument

Different in degree is a demanding claim. It requires the things compared to share an intelligible scale. The temperature example supplies one, but the emotional, metaphysical, and moral applications need additional argument about what their common quantity or dimension would be.

degree

“degree” — 63 occurrences in 44 text blocks: II.15–16, 19, 22; III.1, 8, 10; V.8; VI.8–9, 11–12; VII.6–7, 9, 14, 17; VIII.7–9, 18–19, 23; IX.3, 5, 7, 9, 11; X.1, 3–4, 8–12; XI.7, 12, 14; XIII.5; XIV.9; XV.8, 11, 14.

degrees

“degrees” — 38 occurrences in 19 text blocks: II.13, 16; IV.21; VII.8; VIII.5–9, 24; IX.5, 8; X.2–5, 7–8; XI.11.

scale

“scale” — 29 occurrences in 19 text blocks: II.13; VI.8; VII.7–8, 11; VIII.5, 7–9, 21, 28; IX.8–9; X.5–7, 9, 11; XIV.7.

kind

“kind” — 11 occurrences in 10 text blocks: I.9; IV.21; V.6, 8; VII.17; VIII.11; X.8, 11; XIV.9, 15.