2007-10-30 06:43:46 · 11 answers · asked by disarmed3 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
First, let's talk about what exists.
The future does not exist. The past does not exist. Nobody ever goes there, much less returns from such a journey. The only thing that exists is the EverNow.
Time, as we tend to think about it, is a way of measuring changes in the EverNow. We observe intrinsic rate of change and get days, half-lifes, years, and frequencies. By comparing them to each other and chopping them into pieces we get other standardized units of change such as hours, minutes, seconds, fortnights, and so on.
Because of the nature of the universe, rates of change can themselves be changed. Things can be made to change comparatively slowly or quickly through effects such as time dilation. We colloquially refer to this is going through time faster or slower, but again this creates an inaccurate mental picture - there is no 'time' as a thing to go through.
Nor is time is a dimension like space because there are no 'other' times. You can plot it on a chart, if you like, because math itself has no physical reality (it, too, is a description rather than a thing-in-itself).
That's my take, anyway, for what it's worth. Prove me wrong, if you can.
2007-10-30 07:45:47 · answer #1 · answered by Doctor Why 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'm not too sure, to be honest with you.. But I like Kant's explanation best.. To put it very crudely, Kant said - there's this external word - but we have no access to what its like by itself.. The only way we can know it, is through our sense organs.. Think of our mind as the software through which we interpret the external world (to which we have no independent access)- and this software shows a representation of the external world to us..
Here's how space and time fit it.. Kant said that Space and Time, were contained in the software.. That is - they came as a part of the package.. Space and Time is within us.. Think components - and when our software/mind represents the external world to us - it presses space and time unto them..
So thats why the external world comes to us - spatio-temporally..
Its not a conclusive answer, but its definitely something to think about.. Its a convincing argument, because all our thoughts are already 'in time'.. therefore, the idea that we could infer time - or pick it up - from the external world makes no sense.. as everything we already do - down to our last thought - already comes with time impressed upon it.
2007-10-30 07:17:26 · answer #2 · answered by bassplayer8716 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I define time as something that can't be measured, but you know that it passes by. It is something you should never waste because you can never regain it.
2007-10-30 06:47:19 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Time is a concept, which beginningless, middle less and endless like space. In Sanskrit, it is "anandimadhayanta". Time gives us the idea of before after and now. it refers to past, preent and future. It is an endless continuom.
2007-10-30 07:11:25 · answer #4 · answered by Dr. Girishkumar TS 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Time is the means by which we experience the universe in a linear fashion.
2007-10-30 06:47:33 · answer #5 · answered by jared_e42 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Time is what prevents everything from happening all at once.
2007-10-30 11:30:46 · answer #6 · answered by levatorlux 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Suppose everything happened at once. Time is our perception of that.
2007-10-30 06:55:01 · answer #7 · answered by William H 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Time is something that we never seem to have enough of and can't find anywhere to get more of it.
2007-10-30 06:48:35 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
time is things happening. if nothing happened there would be no time.
did you ever go to boise?
2007-10-30 07:49:19 · answer #9 · answered by synopsis 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
an observation of that precise moment.
2007-10-30 08:03:54 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋