more from Augustine

Single Idea 5980

[catalogued under 27. Natural Reality / D. Time / 1. Nature of Time / g. Growing block]

Full Idea

A short time ago or a short time ahead we might put at ten days, but how can anything which does not exist be either long or short?

Gist of Idea

How can ten days ahead be a short time, if it doesn't exist?

Source

Augustine (Confessions [c.398], XI.15)

Book Reference

Augustine: 'Confessions', ed/tr. Pine-Coffin,R.S. [Penguin 1961], p.264


A Reaction

A nice question, which gets at the paradoxical nature of time very nicely. How can it be long, but non-existent? We could break the paradox by concluding '..and therefore time does exist', even though we can't see how.