In a linear conception of the universe, time matters. It offers a clear chronology between yesterday, today and tomorrow. It's always moving forward; a steady progression. It interfaces with all things and provides the context for all interactions. Life equals time.
Time, an aspect of numbers, helps us to separate distinct and unique entities from others. It serves as a mechanism to compartmentalize our relations with all things inside and outside of our realm of consciousness. Put another way, each unit of time is one of the tools we use to show how nothing is connected -- each millisecond is a unique property unto itself.
Scientists will tell us they can map time. They utilize complex mathematical formulae to show the ignorant amongst us that time itself is more than an abstract concept. It IS something, though one certainly can't keep time in a bottle or hold it in one's hands. According to this view, you can't just chuck time out the window because it exists independent of human understanding. It is real.
Time, an aspect of numbers, helps us to separate distinct and unique entities from others. It serves as a mechanism to compartmentalize our relations with all things inside and outside of our realm of consciousness. Put another way, each unit of time is one of the tools we use to show how nothing is connected -- each millisecond is a unique property unto itself.
Scientists will tell us they can map time. They utilize complex mathematical formulae to show the ignorant amongst us that time itself is more than an abstract concept. It IS something, though one certainly can't keep time in a bottle or hold it in one's hands. According to this view, you can't just chuck time out the window because it exists independent of human understanding. It is real.
Poppycock! I think the rock group Chicago said it best,
Does anybody really know what time it is
(I Don't)
Does anybody really care
(care)
If so I can't imagine why
(about time)
We've all got time enough to die
I began thinking about this topic during the "no" time this morning. Here, in most of the US, we shifted onto daylight savings time (dst) at 2:00 a.m. Consequently, the physical properties of time were tweaked; we went from 2:00 a.m. to 3:01 a.m. in the course of 60 seconds.
If time is real and not a human construct, what happened to 2:01 a.m. and its fellow 58 minutes? Did they get sucked into a black hole or are they out there somewhere? While I do realize that dst is a mere human convention, it still begs the question: How can humankind remove genuine tangible properties from their universe?
From a Taoist perspective, this question has no meaning. Rather than viewing life and existence as billions upon billions of distinct and separate occurrences, we recognize that we are all part of one whole. The distinctions we see around us -- time being but one -- are illusions.
Over at The Useless Tree, Sam deals with a similiar point in this manner:
If time is real and not a human construct, what happened to 2:01 a.m. and its fellow 58 minutes? Did they get sucked into a black hole or are they out there somewhere? While I do realize that dst is a mere human convention, it still begs the question: How can humankind remove genuine tangible properties from their universe?
From a Taoist perspective, this question has no meaning. Rather than viewing life and existence as billions upon billions of distinct and separate occurrences, we recognize that we are all part of one whole. The distinctions we see around us -- time being but one -- are illusions.
Over at The Useless Tree, Sam deals with a similiar point in this manner:
For philosophical Taoists, the meaningfulness of death is to be found in its meaninglessness. That is, the death of one individual is no more and no less than the death of any other individual. Just as in life all things move as "one and the same," so, too, in death. In this, then, we are all one. We are all part of the totality of Way. We each have our place not only in life but also in death. Each death is simultaneously unique and the same. Each person, each thing, moves through his or her own particular life's Way, but each Way ends and is absorbed into the vastness of all Way. In sameness is uniqueness, and in uniqueness sameness.If we are all part of one great cosmic reality, then time has no absolute meaning. It is merely based on human perception. While it may seem logical to the dominant world view and it may prove necessary to everyday existence, it merely creates arbitrary distinctions where none truly exist.
Trey,
ReplyDeleteThis post reminds me of a very interesting 4-part series on the BBC entitled "Time". The link is here.
For example, apparently what researchers have discovered is that as we get older that feeling that the world is speeding up around us is, in fact, true. As we get older our actual body clocks do appear to slow down and so this impression that the world is operating at a faster and faster pace, is true.
It was a very interesting series - if you get an opportunity to see it over there in the States, I can recommend it.
"Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so." Douglas Adams :)
ReplyDeleteyes, all true, to be sure. But dang, I sure do appreciate that extra hour of daylight after work courtesy of DST. I'm in favor of imposing DDST - double daylight savings time.
ReplyDelete:)