66. Time, Motion, and the Numbering Soul

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Lecture Notes

Main Topics #

Time’s Paradoxical Existence #

• Time is defined as the number of motion according to before and after
• A fundamental problem: time barely exists because before and after never exist simultaneously
• Example: three days never coexist; only one day exists at a time, and even incompletely
• The now is the division and limit of time, proportional to the point on a line
• The now does not cease to be as to what it is (it remains always now), but is always other as to when it is (making time)

The Now as Principle of Time #

• The now is not a part of time, nor a number of the same point
• The now acts as a limit that numbers time, similar to how a point divides a line
• Rest could not take place if the now were understood as both a beginning and end (same point)
• The division of the now functions like the division of a line into two parts
• Further treatment of this topic promised in the sixth book (of Aristotle’s Physics)

Being “In Time”: Measured by Time #

• To be in time means to be measured by time
• Temporal beings have a beginning and end in time
• Examples: Mozart’s life (36 years), human lifespans of varying lengths
• All temporal beings are subject to temporal measurement, unlike God’s eternal life
• This understanding is crucial for grasping the later discussion of eternity

Motion as Standard for Measuring Time #

• In selecting a measure, one seeks something invariable and simple
• The apparent motion of the sun around the earth served as the ancient standard
• This motion is regular, swift, and continuous
• Additionally, the sun’s motion was understood as a cause of other changes (weather, plant growth)
• The question of the best standard for time measurement belongs more to experimental science than natural philosophy based on common experience

Time and the Numbering Soul #

• Aristotle raises a critical question: would time exist without the numbering soul?
• Time requires a soul that numbers because time is a number of things that don’t exist together
• Distinction between time and other numbers: chairs in a room exist together and their number can exist independently of a numbering soul
• Days cannot be counted without a soul that remembers the past and anticipates the future
• Man is the animal that has the sense of time and numbering; other animals live in the here and now
• This is why the numbering and anticipation of consequences is a sign of reason

Time and the Development of Reason #

• Freshmen get sick from alcohol more than seniors: a practical example of reasoning about before and after
• Without elevated understanding of virtue, even utilitarian calculus requires looking before and after in time
• Baby example: an infant initially cries continuously while being changed; later, upon being placed on the changing table, the baby calms down, recognizing that relief follows
• This recognition of temporal sequence (changing table → milk) is the first sign of reason
• Dental coward example: delaying treatment results in greater pain later; immediate treatment minimizes total suffering
• Living in the here and now (without looking before and after) makes a person like the beasts

Key Arguments #

The Paradox of Time’s Existence #

• Problem: How can time exist if before and after never coexist? How can a number exist when its components don’t exist together?
• Resolution: Time exists not as a substantial entity but as a number created by the numbering soul
• Analogy: Like the question of whether there were eight people in a room if each person entered and left separately without overlapping—there never were eight people present together, yet the numbering soul can count them

Why Time Requires the Numbering Soul #

• Premise 1: Time is the number of motion (before and after)
• Premise 2: Numbers require a numbering agent (unlike the number of chairs which exist together)
• Premise 3: Time is a number of things that are before and after (don’t exist together)
• Conclusion: Time would barely exist without the numbering soul that creates continuity through memory and anticipation

The Connection Between Reason and Temporal Awareness #

• Premise 1: Reason involves looking before and after in time
• Premise 2: Animals live in the here and now without this temporal awareness
• Premise 3: Humans can calculate consequences (future pain from present action)
• Conclusion: The ability to number and anticipate temporal sequences distinguishes human reason from animal sensation

Important Definitions #

Time (χρόνος) #

• The number of motion according to before and after
• A numbered number (as opposed to a number by which we number)
• Composed of before and after that never exist simultaneously

The Now (νῦν) #

• The division and limit of time
• Proportional to the point on a line
• Always the same as to what it is (always now); always other as to when/where it is
• Not a part of time, but that which makes time continuous

The Numbering Soul #

• The rational soul that creates the number of time through memory and anticipation
• Unique to humans; animals do not number in this way
• The soul that “counts” the before and after, making time exist in a fuller sense

Examples & Illustrations #

The Freshman-Senior Example #

• Freshmen get sick from drinking more than seniors
• Without elevated ethical understanding, simple pleasure-pain calculus shows the need to look before and after
• Drinking to excess for one hour of pleasure causes ten hours of misery
• Restraint allows good sleep and future enjoyment—practical reasoning about time

The Baby Learning Time #

• Initially: baby cries continuously while being changed, cries until receiving milk
• Later: baby is placed on the changing table and stops crying, even before receiving milk
• Recognition: the changing table is connected to milk; relief is on the way
• Significance: the baby learns to look before and after in time, recognizing temporal sequence

The Dental Coward #

• Delays necessary dental treatment due to present pain aversion
• Result: condition worsens, requires more extensive treatment, causes greater total pain
• Contrast: immediate treatment minimizes total pain by looking before and after
• Shows how reason calculates temporal consequences

The Room with Eight People #

• Hypothetical: eight people enter a room one by one, each leaving before the next enters
• Question: Can we say eight people were in the room when they never coexisted?
• Application: Similar problem for time—three days never coexist, yet we count them
• Point: Time requires the numbering soul to create a number from non-coexisting components

Mozart’s Life #

• Mozart lived 36 years, shorter than Berquist’s own lifetime
• Both lives are measured by time with a definite beginning and end
• Contrast: Mozart’s immense achievement in a limited time
• Illustrates: all temporal beings, however brief or long, are measured by time

Questions Addressed #

Does the Now Cease to Be? #

• Problem: If the now ceases to be, when does it cease? Not in the now when it is; not in a later now because there is no “next” now
• Solution: The now doesn’t cease to be as to what it is (it remains always now), but it is always other as to when it is
• Analogy: The thing in motion remains the same thing but is always in a different place; similarly, the now remains always now but is always in a different temporal position

Would Time Exist Without the Numbering Soul? #

• Aristotle’s Answer: Time would barely exist without the numbering soul
• Reasoning: Time is a number of things (before and after) that don’t exist together
• Distinction: Trees in a forest can be numbered without a numbering soul because they coexist; but days cannot, because they don’t coexist
• Implication: This explains why man, uniquely among animals, “has the sense of time” and numbers temporal sequences

What Motion Should Serve as the Standard for Measuring Time? #

• Answer: The apparent motion of the sun around the earth
• Criteria for a good measure: invariability and simplicity
• Why the sun: regular, swift, continuous, and appears to cause other changes (weather, plant growth)
• Caveat: Whether this is truly the best standard is more a question for experimental science than natural philosophy

What is the Difference Between Man and Other Animals Regarding Time? #

• Other animals: live in the here and now; experience present pleasure or pain without anticipating consequences
• Humans: possess reason that “looks before and after” in time
• Evidence: Humans can calculate future consequences (dental health, intoxication), delay present gratification, and number temporal sequences
• Significance: This temporal awareness and numbering is the distinguishing mark of human reason

When Does Reason First Appear in Human Development? #

• Answer: When a person starts looking before and after in time
• Examples: Freshman moderation of drinking; baby recognizing the changing table precedes milk; child understanding dental care prevents greater pain
• Principle: Reason requires temporal calculation; living only in the present (like animals or passionate persons) indicates absence of reason’s exercise