Past Gas
Sometimes I wonder whether the past still exists. I seem so sure of it, and I define myself (and my self-esteem) largely by what I've done (what I remember doing). But does the past exist at all (outside of memory)? I mean metaphysically; how can it exist? If all that is is now then then 'that stuff ain't real'. It's not just that it's a nice idea to strive to 'live in the now'; it's that there is nothing but now. So live.
posted by Chris Foster @ 4:47 PM
1 Comments:
I've been wondering this very question for quite a while. If you accept that our minds are a product of our bodies, then somehow all of our memories are stored in our body's material configuration. Therefore we may as well have popped into existence this very moment, and we would never be able to tell. The nature of our perception of time is very mysterious.
Once you reach the understanding that all we can truly know is that the present moment exists, there arises the question of whether we even experience events in 'order'. This current moment could last for infinity and we could never notice. Or, time might travel 'backwards' and we still could never tell because at each instant we 'remember' the things that are still to occur.
What would it even mean that time did not progress in 'order'? There would be, however, a consequence if 'future' moments had 'already' occurred, and that's of course predestination. If something has already occurred, then it is not variable anymore. Maybe everything happens all at once.
Quite an involved topic that I don't believe has been covered much in traditional philosophy. I was thinking of starting a philosophy blog myself, and this was one of the topics I wanted to write about. It's how I found your blog, since I was searching for existing ones to see what was out there.
Anyway, if you read this, have a nice day!
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