Lecture 6 Time, Space, Chance

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Lecture 6Time, Space, Chance

• Dr. Ann T. Orlando

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Outline

• Hellenistic Theories of Space and Time
• Augustine's theory of Time
• Early modern developments on Space and Time
• A related concept is truth
• timeless eternal Truth,
• mans time-bound and space-bound ability to know
  this Truth

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Aristotle and Space and Time

• Time is associated with the movement of bodies
  (sun, moon, planets)
• Specifically time is number of motion
• No distinction between time and measurement of
  time
• Space is associated with the extent of bodies
• Neither space nor time without corporeal bodies
• No vacuums
• World is eternal

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Epicurean Understanding of Space and Time

• Based on philosophy of Epicurus
• Space and time distinct from bodies
• Vacuums exist, multiple worlds exist for which
  time will be different
• Everything made of atoms
• Atoms are eternal
• Atoms are random, lead to free will in humans
• God(s) have nothing to do with cosmos
• No immortality of soul
• Starting point for Epicurus is theodicy

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Stoic Understanding of Space and Time

• Based on philosophy of Zeno
• Providence is in (is) space and time
• Through Providence all things are fated
• Where does this leave free will?
• Very influential in early Christianity (Justin
  Martyr)
• Acts 17 In Him we live and move and have our
  being

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Augustine and Time

• If Genesis was a preoccupation, time as described
  in Genesis was a special focus
• In the beginning
• Key questions
• Relation between time, infinite time, eternity
• Relation between time and movement
• Relation between space and time
• Along with theodicy and theory of signs, probably
  the most frequent use of Augustine in modern
  philosophy

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Confessions XI

• A philosophical exegesis of Gen. 11
• Think back to mystical vision in IX no time
• Or at least we cannot talk about time
• What is time
• How we perceive it (psychological time)
• What is actually is
• Difference between physical time and how it is
  measured
• Problem for Augustine if time is not movement of
  corporeal bodies, then can there be time separate
  from corporeal bodies?
• Time created at the same time as the cosmos
• The relation between time and eternity
• Really the relation between God and his creation
• How can time-bound man know anything of the
  eternal God

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Introduction to City of God

• Written (413-427) in response to pagan critics
  who claimed that Rome was sacked in 410 because
  of Christianity
• A charge revised by Edward Gibbon in Decline and
  Fall of Roman Empire
• Explores mans identity in temporal order and
  eternal order, and relationship between them
• Books I X refute pagan teaching
• Books I-V Concerning those who worship gods for
  happiness in this life
• Books VI X Concerning those who worship gods
  for happiness in next life
• Books XI XXII are a defense of Christianity
• Books XI XIV Origin of the two cities (City of
  God and Earthly City)
• Books XV XIX Development of the two cities
• Books XX XXII Ends of the two cities
• Probably the single most important social,
  political, philosophical, theological work by
  Augustine,

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City of God XI.4-6Eternity of the World

• Begins the explicit defense of Christian teaching
• First Augustine must defend Christian accounts of
  creation
• This starts with whether or not cosmos was
  created
• Although many of the same themes are treated note
  difference in approach from Confessions XI

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Boethius (480-526)

• Heir to ancient Roman senatorial family
• But living in Rome after the takeover by Germanic
  tribes
• Among the best educated men in West
• Translated Plato and Aristotle into Latin
• Christian philosopher
• On Trinity

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Consolation of Philosophy

• One of the most important philosophical works
  ever written
• Written while Boethius is in prison awaiting
  execution for treason
• A dialog with Lady Philosophy who convinces
  Boethius that even in these dire circumstances he
  should be satisfied with his life
• Petrarch Secretum Augustine plays role of Lady
  Philosophy
• 5 Books

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Book 5

• Is there chance in the universe
• Does God keep things in order?
• What is relation of free will and Providence?
• Definition of eternity
• Note dependence on Augustines definition
• But extension of Augustine through connection to
  free will

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AquinasOn the Eternity of the World

• Aristotle argued forcefully for the eternity of
  the cosmos
• Aquinas argued that Aristotles logic was not
  flawed that the eternity of the world could be
  neither proved nor disproved
• Note use of City of God XI
• Did Augustine really leave open that the eternity
  of the world could not be disproved?
• http//www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/aquinas-etern
  ity.html

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Early Modern (17th C) Discoveries

• Early experiments show
• Existence of vacuums
• Random motion of gases
• Along with discoveries of planetary motion
• Complete rejection of Aristotelian physics

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Isaac Newton (1643-1727) Space and Time

• 16th and 17th Discoveries in astronomy and
  physics led to Scientific Revolution
• Newton as the high priest
• A new approach which solved some old problems
  (but created new ones) in the Scholium to the
  Principia Mathematica (1687)
• Space and time are independent of matter
• Note how relation of God to creation is important
• Newton became an Arian as an adult no
  human-divine mediator between time-bound man and
  eternity
• Corporeal things exist in space and time (which
  have always existed)
• God created things in space and time
• There exists an absolute space and time God
  exists in this absolute space and time

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Recent Discussions on Cosmology

• Einstein and relativity theory
• space/time not absolute (Special Theory of
  Relativity)
• and not independent of matter light effected by
  gravity (General Theory)
• Steven Hawking, A Brief History of Time
• Augustine as reference for time at beginning of
  creation
• Back to relation between chance (quantum physics)
  and ordered structure to universe (gravity) and
  the relation between the two
• Scientific American Are we back to Stoicism?

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Assignments

• Augustine,
• Confession XI,
• City of God XI
• Boethius, Consolation of Philosophy, Book 5
• Aquinas, On the Eternity of the World
  http//www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/aquinas-etern
  ity.html
• Newton Scholium available at http//www.isaac-ne
  wton.org/scholium.htm (optional)
• Hawking, Brief History of Time, pp1-11 and 165-175