Single Idea 14156

[catalogued under 27. Natural Reality / D. Time / 3. Parts of Time / b. Instants]

Full Idea

To the mathematician as such there is no relevant distinction between the instants of time and the points on a line.

Gist of Idea

Mathematicians don't distinguish between instants of time and points on a line

Source

Bertrand Russell (The Principles of Mathematics [1903], §387)

Book Reference

Russell,Bertrand: 'Principles of Mathematics' [Routledge 1992], p.403


A Reaction

This is the germ of the modern view of space time, which is dictated by the mathematics, rather than by our intuitions or insights into what is actually going on.