Definitions HQ

Time (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a form. It is simply the way in which temporal objects and the points of time they occupy appear to us.

Time (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠an a priori condition for being-in-the-world. Time does not exist apart from human consciousness or dasein, and all 'objective' time is based on this 'subjective condition'.

Time (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠directional. It flows toward the future with the future defined simply insofar as it is the recipient of time.

Time (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠fundamentally related to the three modes of human experience (i.e. Categories of human being) or 'existentials'... namely, understanding, attunement and discourse, none of which have to do with counting or measuring.

Time (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not (pace Aristotle) made up in such a way that the present is a sort of 'knife-edged now' that is not even a part of time.

Time (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not a container in which the life of a human being unfolds. Rather, we are constantly projecting ourselves into a world that contains possibilities arising from our past, possibilities which we can either take up authentically or inauthentically in the present, and most importantly, possibilities of the future.

Time (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not a linear string of unrelated 'nows'... future, having-been and present are always inseparably together. The future is not 'later' than the past... the past is not 'earlier' than the present. This is what is most difficult to understand.

Time (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not a mere string of uniform, indifferent now-points but rather it is tied up in relations. The 'now' is essentially a now-that (as in now it is time to go to lunch or now it is time to go home) , and it is significant, which is to say, meaningful.

Time (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not a purely 'inner' quality or a mode of consciousness or subjective experience. Rather, one has time 'for something'.

Time (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not a string of now points both the future and the past enter into the present... on the one hand the future is not at all merely a not-yet-now and on the other, the past is something that is still going on.

Time (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not a temporal thing. It does not exist in empirical reality. It itself is not present, has never been present, and will never be present in the empirical world. Although it conditions all experience, it itself cannot be experienced.

Time (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not an 'inner' subjective quality, but rather it is public and datable and embodied such that one has time 'for something'.

Time (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not an image of eternity. On the contrary, it finds its image in our finitude. The meaning of time does not lie in eternity which is beyond our grasp. Rather it lies in an end, and that end lies within our grasp.

Time (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not limited to counting and measuring, which is derivative of what can be called 'calculative thinking.'.

Time (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not something that is counted, but the very structure of human experience itself. We are not in time... we are time.

Time (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not subjective or atemporal objective but prior to the distinction of subjective/objective.

Time (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not the product of man, man is not the product of time. There is no production here. There is only giving in the sense of extending which opens up time-space.

Time (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not to be understood in terms of change and motion or in terms of permanence and rest. Time has to be understood in terms of phenomena such as heritage, fate and death.

Time (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not to be viewed externally as an 'occurrence'.

Time (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not what is counted, but rather what does the 'counting'. Time is not a linear series of now-points already there waiting to be counted... nor is it an inert container-framework.