Islamic Calligraphy

THE SINGLE MONAD MODEL OF THE COSMOS:

Ibn al-Arabi's Concept of Time and Creation

by Mohamed Haj Yousef



Search Inside this Book


6. Time in Greek Philosophy:


Since the age of Homer, the Greek word chronos was used to refer to time. Chronos was a Greek god who feared that his sons would take over his kingdom, so he ate them one after the other just like time, which brings things into existence and then overtakes them.

We can already detect two clearly opposing views about time in the contrast between Plato's and Aristotle's schools of thought. Plato considers time to be created with the world, while Aristotle believes that the world was created in time, which is an infinite and continuous extension. Plato says: 'Be that as it may, Time came into being together with the Heaven, in order that, as they were brought into being together, so they may be dissolved together, if ever their dissolution should come to pass.' (Cornford 1997: 99)

Aristotle, however, believes that Plato's proposition requires a point in time that is the beginning of time and has no time before it. This notion is inconceivable for Aristotle, who adopts Democritus' notion of uncreated time and says: 'If time is eternal motion must also be eternal, because time is a number of motion. Everyone except Plato has asserted the eternity of time. Time cannot have a limit (beginning or end) for such a limit is a moment, and any moment is the beginning of a future time and the end of past time.' (Lettinck 1994: 562)

Thus time for Aristotle is a continuum, and it is always associated with motion; as such, it can not have a beginning (Lettinck 1994: 241-59, 361). Plato, on the other hand, considers time as the circular motion of the heavens (Cornford 2004: 103), while Aristotle said that it is not motion, but rather the measure of motion (Lettinck 1994: 351, 382, 390). Aristotle clearly relates rational time and motion, but the problem that arises here is that time is uniform, while some motions are fast and some slow. So we measure motion by time because it is uniform otherwise it can't be used as a measure. To overcome this objection, Aristotle takes the motion of the heavenly spheres as a reference, and all other motions, as well as time, are measured according to this motion (Badawi 1965: 90). On the other hand, Aristotle considers time as imaginary because it is either past or future, and both don't exist, while the present is not part of time because it has no extension (Lettinck 1994: 348).

We shall see in Chapter II that Ibn Arabi shares with Aristotle the idea of a circular endless time and that it is a measure of motion, but he does not consider it as continuum. On the other hand, Ibn Arabi agrees with Plato that time is created with the world. In fact Plato was right when he considered time to be created, but Aristotle refused this because he could not conceive of a starting point to the world nor to time. Only after the theory of General Relativity in 1915, that introduced the idea of 'curved time', could we envisage a finite but curved time that has a beginning. By this we could combine Plato's and Aristotle's opposing views. However, Ibn Arabi did that seven centuries before, and he also explicitly spoke about curved time long time before Einstein.



  previous page

contents

next page  

Read Other Books:

Single Monad Model of the Cosmos
The Single Monad Model of the Cosmos: Ibn Arabi's View of Time and Creation
The Duality of Time Theory
The Duality of Time Theory: Complex-Time Geometry and Perpertual Creation of Space
The Duality of Time Theory
The Ultimate Symmetry: Fractal Complex-Time and Quantum Gravity
The Chest of Time
The Chest of Time: Particle-Wave Duality: from Time Confinement to Space Transcendence

Read this short concise exploration of the Duality of Time Postulate:

he Duality of Time Postulate
DoT: The Duality of Time Postulate and Its Consequences on General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics

Other Pages Related to Search Keywords:

  • ... Monadology =>:

  • ... Space Transcendence Read this short concise exploration of the Duality of Time Postulate: DoT: The Duality of Time Postulate and Its Consequences on General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics ...


  • ... Continuous Extension =>:

  • ... between Plato's and Aristotle's schools of thought. Plato considers time to be created with the world, while Aristotle believes that the world was created in time, which is an infinite and CONTINUOUS EXTENSION . Plato says: 'Be that as it may, Time came into being together with the Heaven, ...


  • ... Transcendence Read =>:

  • ... mplex-Time Geometry and Perpertual Creation of Space The Ultimate Symmetry: Fractal Complex-Time and Quantum Gravity The Chest of Time: Particle-Wave Duality: from Time Confinement to Space Transcendence Read this short concise exploration of the Duality of Time Postulate: DoT: The Duality ...


  • ... Perpertual Creation =>:

  • ... long time before Einstein.     Read Other Books: The Single Monad Model of the Cosmos: Ibn Arabi's View of Time and Creation The Duality of Time Theory: Complex-Time Geometry and Perpertual Creation of Space The Ultimate Symmetry: Fractal Complex-Time and Quantum Gravity The Che ...


  • ... Greek Philosophy =>:

  • ... quences on General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics ...


  • ... Circular Motion =>:

  • ... ime for Aristotle is a continuum, and it is always associated with motion; as such, it can not have a beginning (Lettinck 1994: 241-59, 361). Plato, on the other hand, considers time as the CIRCULAR MOTION of the heavens (Cornford 2004: 103), while Aristotle said that it is not motion, but ...


  • ... Starting Point =>:

  • ... Ibn Arabi agrees with Plato that time is created with the world. In fact Plato was right when he considered time to be created, but Aristotle refused this because he could not conceive of a STARTING POINT to the world nor to time. Only after the theory of General Relativity in 1915, that i ...


  • ... Long Time =>:

  • ... ime that has a beginning. By this we could combine Plato's and Aristotle's opposing views. However, Ibn Arabi did that seven centuries before, and he also explicitly spoke about curved time LONG TIME before Einstein.     Read Other Books: The Single Monad Model of the Cosmos: Ibn ...


  • ... Considered Time =>:

  • ... that it is a measure of motion, but he does not consider it as continuum. On the other hand, Ibn Arabi agrees with Plato that time is created with the world. In fact Plato was right when he CONSIDERED TIME to be created, but Aristotle refused this because he could not conceive of a startin ...


  • ... Heavenly Sphere =>:

  • ... ome motions are fast and some slow. So we measure motion by time because it is uniform otherwise it can't be used as a measure. To overcome this objection, Aristotle takes the motion of the HEAVENLY SPHERE s as a reference, and all other motions, as well as time, are measured according to t ...


  • ... Future Time =>:

  • ... s a number of motion. Everyone except Plato has asserted the eternity of time. Time cannot have a limit (beginning or end) for such a limit is a moment, and any moment is the beginning of a FUTURE TIME and the end of past time.' (Lettinck 1994: 562) Thus time for Aristotle is a continuum, ...


  • ... Yousef Search =>:

  • ... he Duality of Time Postulate and Its Consequences on General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics ...


Welcome to the Single Monad Model of the Cosmos and Duality of Time Theory
Forgot Password? - [Register]

Message from the Author:

I have no doubt that this is the most significant discovery in the history of mathematics, physics and philosophy, ever!

By revealing the mystery of the connection between discreteness and contintuity, this novel understanding of the complex (time-time) geometry, will cause a paradigm shift in our knowledge of the fundamental nature of the cosmos and its corporeal and incorporeal structures.

Enjoy reading...

Mohamed Haj Yousef


Check this detailed video presentation on "Deriving the Principles of Special, General and Quantum Relativity Based on the Single Monad Model Cosmos and Duality of Time Theory".

Download the Book "DOT: The Duality of Time Postulate and Its Consequences on General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics" or: READ ONLINE .....>>>>



Subsribe to Newsletter:


Moonlight floods the whole sky from horizon to horizon. How much it can fill your room, depends on the windows !
Jalaluddin Rumi [The Essential Rumi by Coleman Barks - -]
quote