What Is Time?

[Philosophy Now]

Each answer below receives a book. Apologies to the many entrants not included.

https://philosophynow.org/issues/155/What_Is_Time

[Agent Smith]

Hmmm ... before I bite ... forget it! Here goes nothing ...

I believe time, what it is, can be thought of as lying somewhere between undefined/hardta define/not-yet-defined AND scientifically very, very useful.

What I said of course could very well be an artifact of our zeitgeist, but that doesn't mean it's not worth answering the question what time is.

What's the difference, if any, between a digital watch and an analog one? I'm old enough to have worn an analog timepiece and now I use my cell phone's digital clock. I don't recall any Y2K-like problems when I made the switch. However ... I'm old, and frail, broken-hearted, and I think I have a tumor in me bloody nose. Que sais-je?

[popeye1945]

Time is the melody the spheres play on a conscious subject, their effects, and a conscious subject's biological reactions.

[Age]

'Time' was just a word given to the measuring of the duration between perceived events.

[attofishpi]

'Time' was just a word given to the measuring of the duration between perceived events.

..and by 'duration' you are talking about the number of events between events?

[Age]

'Time' was just a word given to the measuring of the duration between perceived events.

..and by 'duration' you are talking about the number of events between events?

No, NOT AT ALL.

I am talking about the actual 'length' BETWEEN say, 'two , perceived, events', measured with what are referred to as or commonly called, 'watches', 'clocks', et cetera.

[attofishpi]

'Time' was just a word given to the measuring of the duration between perceived events.

..and by 'duration' you are talking about the number of events between events?

No, NOT AT ALL.

I am talking about the actual 'length' BETWEEN say, 'two , perceived, events', measured with what are referred to as or commonly called, 'watches', 'clocks', et cetera.

My dear fellow, a watch doesn't tick without events and the 'duration' between each tick has events.

[Age]

..and by 'duration' you are talking about the number of events between events?

No, NOT AT ALL.

I am talking about the actual 'length' BETWEEN say, 'two , perceived, events', measured with what are referred to as or commonly called, 'watches', 'clocks', et cetera.

My dear fellow, a watch doesn't tick without events

I NEVER even 'thought' otherwise, let alone SAID absolutely ANY 'thing' here that should have led ANY one to ASSUME I was.

and the 'duration' between each tick has events.

Okay. And, between ALL of those, perceived, 'events' is 'a duration', which the measuring of was and is known as, and by, the word 'time', as I WAS, and AM STILL, SAYING.

[attofishpi]

No, NOT AT ALL.

I am talking about the actual 'length' BETWEEN say, 'two , perceived, events', measured with what are referred to as or commonly called, 'watches', 'clocks', et cetera.

My dear fellow, a watch doesn't tick without events

I NEVER even 'thought' otherwise, let alone SAID absolutely ANY 'thing' here that should have led ANY one to ASSUME I was.

and the 'duration' between each tick has events.

Okay. And, between ALL of those, perceived, 'events' is 'a duration', which the measuring of was and is known as, and by, the word 'time', as I WAS, and AM STILL, SAYING.

You have disagreed with my original statement: "..and by 'duration' you are talking about the number of events between events?

Show me how you are going to measure any duration without events.

The point I am making is that there is no 'duration' that can occur without events.

[Skepdick]

Time is more valuable than money, for wasting time buys you so much more than wasting money.

The Book of Deepities, volume 3.

[Age]

My dear fellow, a watch doesn't tick without events

I NEVER even 'thought' otherwise, let alone SAID absolutely ANY 'thing' here that should have led ANY one to ASSUME I was.

and the 'duration' between each tick has events.

Okay. And, between ALL of those, perceived, 'events' is 'a duration', which the measuring of was and is known as, and by, the word 'time', as I WAS, and AM STILL, SAYING.

You have disagreed with my original statement

1. Am I NOT ALLOWED TO?

2. Is that 'original statement' of 'yours' the one written AFTER what I SAID and WROTE, and which 'you' were REPLYING TO? And,

3. Is that 'your statement' WITH a QUESTION MARK AT THE END of 'it'?

: "..and by 'duration' you are talking about the number of events between events?

So, is 'this' A 'statement', OR, A 'question'?

Show me how you are going to measure any duration without events.

WHY ARE 'you' ASSUMING here that I am SAYING ABSOLUTELY ANY 'thing' AT ALL ABOUT measuring WITHOUT 'events'?

Are 'you' MISSING READING the word 'BETWEEN', before the 'events' word here?

I WROTE 'BETWEEN' in capital letters so that 'it' would be EMPHASIZED, or made MORE OBVIOUS.

The point I am making is that there is no 'duration' that can occur without events.

But WHY make 'this point', ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING NO one I KNOW of has EVER said such a thing, and I have CERTAINLY NEVER even mentioned ANY such 'thing'.

I even WROTE the word 'events', and the words 'BETWEEN events'.

So, AGAIN, WHY are 'you' ASSUMING what 'you' ARE here, "attofishpi"?

[Age]

Time is more valuable than money, for wasting time buys you so much more than wasting money.

But, 'What is 'time', to you?

The Book of Deepities, volume 3.

[Skepdick]

Time is more valuable than money, for wasting time buys you so much more than wasting money.

But, 'What is 'time', to you?

The question surprises me.

Time is time to me. What else could it be?

[Age]

Time is more valuable than money, for wasting time buys you so much more than wasting money.

But, 'What is 'time', to you?

The question surprises me.

WHY, EXACTLY?

Time is time to me.

Okay. This has CLEARED UP a LOT of 'things' here, MOST by SHOWING and REVEALING MORE ABOUT 'you'.

What else could it be?

ASKING 'this' question surprises 'me' that 'you' do NOT YET ALREADY KNOW.

BUT, THEN AGAIN, 'you' have ALREADY INFORMED 'us' that 'you' are NOT ABLE to DEFINE ANY word AT ALL, thus 'you' do NOT ACTUALLY KNOW what 'things' ACTUALLY ARE or are NOT able to TELL ANY one "else", right?

[popeye1945]

Time is the reaction to matter in motion through space in its local context. Reaction in the case of one organism becomes conscious, and in consciousness reaction becomes time. Without a conscious subject there is no time, just meaningless matter in motion affecting other matter in motion in its local.