Presentation on the Philosophy of Time

Time Theory

Time theory is a field of study that explores questions such as:

• Can we perceive the present moment?
• Is time measurable in a quantitative way, similar to space?
• Does the future “exist”?

There are two concepts of time: Kairos time and Chronos time.

• Chronos time:
  • Also known as objective time.
  • It is the mechanical time that clocks measure.
• Kairos time:
  • Also known as subjective time.
  • It is the internal and subjective experience of time.

The history of time perception follows a shift from Kairos to Chronos.

• 1000 years ago:
  • Chronos time was not consciously recognized.
  • There was no awareness that time could be quantified, similar to distance.
  • The concept of “circular time” that repeats in a loop was prevalent.
• The invention and popularization of mechanical clocks:
  • The concept of objective time became widespread.
• 17th century: Newton’s concept of “absolute time”:
  • The idea of capturing time with numbers became popular.

Combining Kairos and Chronos gives us the notion of “the speed of time.”

• Examples:
  • “It was so interesting that it ended in a moment.”
  • “It was so boring that it seemed to never end.”

In a graphical representation:

• 
• Vertical axis: Kairos time / Horizontal axis: Chronos time
• The slope represents “the speed of time.”

Literature is closely related to the concept of time perception.

• From the perspective of understanding the content:
  • The time perception of people in the past was different from the present.
• From an analytical perspective:
  • The reader’s time corresponds to Chronos time.
  • The time within the fictional world corresponds to Kairos time.

Related fields of study include:

• Philosophy: Epistemology
• Neuroscience: Memory, etc.
• Physics: Theory of relativity

Regarding the relationship between Kairos and Chronos time in the context of spacetime:

• Are they of different dimensions?
  • Yes, they are.
    • Since everything is based on Newtonian physics (excluding science fiction, for example),
      • It is understood from the human perspective, and it is this assumption that makes literature interesting (understandable).