66. There are three degrees of ascent in the natural world and three degrees of ascent in the spiritual world. All animals are recipients of life. The more perfect animals are recipients of life of the three degrees of the natural world, the less perfect are recipients of life of two degrees of that world, and the imperfect are recipients of one of its degrees. But man alone is a recipient of life not only of the three degrees of the natural world but also of the three degrees of the spiritual world. Hence it is that man can be raised above Nature, but not so any animal. He can think analytically and rationally about civil and moral things which are within Nature, and also about spiritual and heavenly things which are above Nature. Indeed, he can be raised into wisdom even to seeing God. But the six degrees through which the uses of all created things ascend in their order, even up to God the Creator, are to be treated in the appropriate place. From this summary it can be seen that there is an ascent of all created things towards the First Who alone is Life, and that the uses of all things are the very recipients of life, and hence so are the forms of uses.