Chapter III: Reality and Its Appearances—the Degrees of Reality

§ 1. Reality being a single systematic whole, the nature of
its constituent elements is only finally intelligible in
the light of the whole system. Hence each of its
“appearances,” if considered as a whole in itself, must
be more or less contradictory. § 2. But some
“appearances” exhibit the structure of the whole more
adequately than others, and have therefore a higher
degree of reality. § 3. This conception of degree of
reality may be illustrated by comparison with the
successive orders of infinites and infinitesimals in
Mathematics. It would be the task of a complete
Philosophy to assign the contents of the world to their
proper place in the series of “orders” of reality. § 4.
In general any subordinate whole is real in proportion
as it is a self-contained whole. And it is a
self-contained whole in proportion as it is (_a_)
comprehensive, (_b_) systematic; that is, a thing is
real just so far as it is truly individual. § 5. The two
criteria of individuality, though ultimately coincident,
tend in particular cases to fall apart for our insight,
owing to the limitation of human knowledge. § 6.
Ultimately only the whole system of experience is
completely individual, all other individuality is
approximate. § 7. In other words, the whole system of
experience is an infinite individual, all subordinate
individuality is finite. Comparison of t“his position
with the doctrines of Leibnitz. § 8. Recapitulatory
statement of the relation of Reality to its Appearances 104