Time as the Subject: Grammar, Physics, and Philosophy
By Janpha Thadphoothon
As a language educator, I often find myself intrigued by how abstract concepts like time can dominate our lives and, more interestingly, how they can be used as subjects in sentences. Time, as both an intangible and omnipresent force, often takes center stage in conversations, metaphors, and grammatical structures. But what happens when time itself is the subject of a sentence? This question opens up not only a grammatical exploration but also a philosophical reflection on how we understand and communicate the flow of life.
 |
| Credit: ChatGPT. (2024). Abstract painting representing the concept of time as a subject [AI-generated image]. OpenAI. |
Time as a Grammatical Subject
In English, nouns, proper nouns, pronouns, and occasionally even abstract concepts like time can function as the subject of a sentence. The subject typically indicates what or whom the sentence is about, and when we place "time" in that position, we see how our perception of the world, past, present, and future, can be expressed grammatically.
For instance, consider the sentence:
"Three years of fighting have made the two sides weaker."
Here, "three years" refers to a specific span of time, and it is the subject of the verb phrase "have made." This simple sentence packs a deeper meaning. It shows how time, through the duration of three years, has produced tangible effects—weakening the parties involved in the conflict.
Similarly, time appears frequently in idiomatic expressions and proverbial sayings such as:
- "Time flies when you're having fun."
- "Time heals all wounds."
- "Yesterday is the past, tomorrow is the future, and today is a gift—that’s why they call it the present."
In each of these, time is either directly or indirectly treated as the subject. Time isn’t just a passive backdrop to our actions; it is an active participant in shaping human experience.
Philosophical Dimensions of Time as the Subject
When time becomes the subject of a sentence, it often takes on qualities of agency, as though it had its own force and will. This leads to an interesting philosophical observation: Does time act on us, or are we the ones imposing meaning on time?
Consider the sentence:
"Yesterday is the past."
This sentence, while simple, carries immense philosophical weight. Yesterday, as a concept, encapsulates everything that has already occurred, every action that has already been completed. When we say "yesterday is the past," we are acknowledging the inexorable flow of time and its ability to separate moments into before and after.
But here, we must ask ourselves: Is yesterday merely a product of human categorization? After all, "yesterday" and "today" are labels we assign to certain sections of the temporal continuum. While time may be a universal constant, how we understand and experience it is shaped by culture, language, and individual perception.
This leads to an interesting question: Can time exist without being observed? Philosophers such as Immanuel Kant have argued that time, along with space, is a framework imposed by the human mind. It organizes our experiences into a coherent narrative. Without this structure, life would be a chaotic blur of events. In this sense, when time becomes the subject of a sentence, it represents not just an external phenomenon but also our cognitive attempt to make sense of our existence.
Are We Part of Time?
From a scientific perspective, time is often considered a fundamental dimension of the universe, akin to space. Just as we occupy space, we also exist within time. The theory of relativity, proposed by Einstein, shows that time is relative—meaning our experience of time can change based on factors like speed and gravity, but we are always bound by it. In this sense, humans, like all matter, are part of time, flowing with it, subject to its passage, unable to escape its forward motion.
Our lives are structured by time: past, present, and future guide our actions and thoughts. We measure our existence through time—birth, aging, and death all happen within its framework. This suggests that we are very much a part of time, moving through it, subject to its laws.
Are We the Creators of Time?
From a more philosophical or metaphysical standpoint, some argue that time is a construct of human consciousness. This viewpoint suggests that time, as we understand it, is something we create to make sense of our experiences. Kant, for instance, believed that time (and space) are structures imposed by our minds to organize sensory input. Without a conscious observer to categorize events into a sequence, "time" might not exist as we perceive it.
If we consider that past and future don't physically exist—only the present is ever truly experienced—then one could argue that time is a mental framework. We create time by thinking of it in terms of linear progress, milestones, and measurements. In this way, perhaps we are, in a sense, creators of time in the way we interpret and experience it.
The Interplay of Both
It’s possible that both perspectives hold truth. On one hand, we are undeniably part of time, subject to its passage as an external force. On the other hand, our understanding and perception of time are shaped by human consciousness, culture, and the need to impose order on our experiences. We might not have created time itself, but we have certainly shaped the way we interact with and understand it.
The Buddhist Conception of Time
Impermanence (Anicca) and the Nature of Time
As far as I know, Buddhism teaches us that all phenomena are impermanent and constantly changing. This includes both physical objects and mental states. In this view, time is part of the transient nature of existence, but it is not considered a fixed or independent entity. Rather, time is an aspect of the flow of change in the universe.
According to the doctrine of impermanence, everything is in a constant state of flux, and this ongoing process of arising and passing away is what we experience as time. We don’t "move through" time in the sense of a river flowing by; rather, time is a construct that arises from the changing conditions around us. In this sense, we are part of the flow of change, which is closely related to what we perceive as time.
Dependent Origination (Paticca Samuppada)
The Buddha’s teaching of dependent origination explains that all phenomena arise in dependence on causes and conditions. Nothing exists independently; everything is interdependent. This applies to time as well—time is not an entity that exists on its own but is understood in relation to other phenomena.
For example, the concepts of "past," "present," and "future" only make sense in relation to changing experiences and conditions. In this way, our perception of time is shaped by the events and phenomena we experience, rather than being an external force that drives existence. Time is seen as a relative concept, dependent on how we observe change in the world.
Are We Part of Time or the Creator of Time?
In Buddhist teachings, we are part of the ongoing flow of conditions that gives rise to our perception of time, but we do not "create" time as a fixed entity. Instead, time is understood as a mental construct, an abstraction used to describe the continuous process of change.
At a deeper level, Buddhism teaches that the self—our idea of a permanent, unchanging "I"—is also an illusion. There is no fixed, enduring self moving through time; rather, we are a constantly changing collection of mental and physical processes. Since both time and the self are seen as impermanent and interdependent, there is no ultimate separation between the two. We are both part of the flow of time (or change) and participants in the mental constructs that give rise to our experience of it.
The Ultimate Truth: Beyond Time
At the highest levels of Buddhist understanding, particularly in the teachings about nirvana, the concept of time as we know it becomes irrelevant. Nirvana, the state of liberation from the cycle of birth and death (samsara), is often described as timeless. It is a state that transcends the ordinary experience of time because it is beyond change and impermanence.
In this sense, the ultimate goal of Buddhist practice is to transcend the ordinary concept of time. When one reaches enlightenment, they no longer experience the illusion of a separate self moving through past, present, and future. Instead, they realize the truth of the timeless nature of reality.
Practical Implications for Mindfulness
In day-to-day practice, Buddhism emphasizes mindfulness (sati), which involves being fully present in the moment. This practice of mindfulness teaches us to let go of attachment to the past and anxiety about the future, focusing instead on the here and now.
By training the mind to remain in the present, we can see more clearly the nature of time as a mental construct and reduce the suffering that comes from clinging to past experiences or fearing future events.
The Middle Way
In Buddhist teachings, time is not an absolute entity that controls our lives, nor are we the creators of time in the sense of imposing structure on an otherwise chaotic flow. Instead, time is part of the impermanent and interdependent nature of all things. We experience time through the changing conditions of life, and our attachment to concepts of past, present, and future can lead to suffering. Through mindfulness and insight, we can transcend our ordinary experience of time and approach the timeless state of nirvana.
From a Buddhist perspective, then, the answer might be that we are neither wholly part of time nor its creators—we are simply part of the continuous, interdependent process of change that we call life.
Einstein’s Views on Time
It would be incomplete and unbecoming if this discourse omitted Einstein’s views on time.
Einstein's Theory of Relativity and Time
In Einstein’s special theory of relativity (1905), time is not an independent, absolute entity. Instead, it is linked to space, forming what is called spacetime. Here are some key elements of Einstein’s view:
- Time is relative: According to special relativity, time is not experienced uniformly by all observers. Depending on your speed relative to another observer, time may move faster or slower for you. This is the famous concept of time dilation—for example, a person traveling close to the speed of light will experience time much more slowly than someone standing still on Earth.
- Spacetime continuum: Time is not a separate dimension but is woven together with the three dimensions of space into a four-dimensional framework. Events that occur are not located solely in space or time but in spacetime. This view makes time a dimension we move through, just as we move through space.
- General relativity (1915) further expanded this understanding by introducing the idea that gravity warps time and space. Time passes more slowly in strong gravitational fields, an effect known as gravitational time dilation. For example, time moves more slowly closer to massive objects like stars or black holes.
Time as a Flexible Entity
In contrast to the traditional view of time as an absolute, unchanging flow, Einstein's theories show that time is flexible and dependent on the observer's context. This makes time less like a fixed river in which we float, and more like a variable element that can stretch, shrink, or even bend under the right conditions.
Block Universe Theory: Time as an Illusion?
Einstein’s work also led to a concept sometimes called the block universe or eternalism. In this view, all points in time—past, present, and future—exist simultaneously. Time doesn’t “flow” in a linear fashion as we perceive it. Instead, the universe is like a four-dimensional block where every event exists permanently in spacetime.
This concept suggests that the past and future are just as real as the present, challenging our intuitive sense of time as something that moves forward. In this sense, time could be seen as an illusion created by human perception, echoing certain philosophical and spiritual ideas, though Einstein himself never argued this explicitly.
Einstein’s Personal Views on Time and Death
Einstein is also known for his philosophical reflections on time, especially later in his life. After the death of his close friend Michele Besso, Einstein wrote to Besso’s family, saying:
"Now he has departed from this strange world a little ahead of me. That means nothing. People like us, who believe in physics, know that the distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion."
As we can see, here, Einstein reflects his belief that the flow of time is an illusion, rooted in his understanding of spacetime. While we experience life as a series of moments, physics shows us that all points in time coexist. This aligns with the block universe concept, where death doesn’t mean a person ceases to exist; they exist eternally in spacetime.
Comparison to Buddhist Teachings
- Relativity of time: Both Einstein’s theory and Buddhist teachings challenge the everyday notion of time as absolute. In Buddhism, time is seen as relative and dependent on conditions, much like how relativity shows that time can be different for different observers depending on their circumstances.
- Illusion of time: Einstein’s idea that time is a persistent illusion echoes the Buddhist teaching that the self and the phenomenal world are also illusory, based on our limited perceptions. Buddhism teaches that our attachment to linear time (past, present, future) leads to suffering, and Einstein’s view that time is an illusion can be interpreted similarly—our belief in the flow of time may shape our experience but does not reflect ultimate reality.
- Timelessness and Enlightenment: While Einstein’s work is grounded in physics, the philosophical implications of a “timeless” block universe resonate with the Buddhist idea of nirvana, a state beyond time and change. For Einstein, the block universe suggests all events in spacetime are equally real and eternal, while in Buddhism, the ultimate truth transcends the temporal world of change.
Einstein’s work on relativity introduced a revolutionary way of thinking about time, showing it to be relative, flexible, and intertwined with space. His personal reflections on time as an illusion resonate with philosophical and spiritual traditions, like Buddhism, that see time as dependent on perception rather than as an absolute reality.
As we can see, Einstein might not take a spiritual position like the Buddha, but his scientific insights lend support to the idea that time is more complex and less fixed than our everyday experience suggests. Both views challenge the notion of time as a simple, forward-moving force and open the door to a deeper understanding of reality.
Time and Language Learning
For English learners, understanding time as a grammatical subject helps to develop a more nuanced understanding of both the language and the ways we perceive the world. The more one can grasp how time interacts with verbs and other sentence elements, the better one will be able to express ideas about past experiences, current events, and future possibilities.
Take, for instance, the difference between "I will do it tomorrow" and "Tomorrow will bring new opportunities." - Can you feel the difference?
In the first sentence, the subject is "I," and the verb is in the future tense. Time is simply a reference point for the action. In the second sentence, however, time ("tomorrow") becomes the subject, and it is presented as an active agent capable of "bringing" opportunities. In the latter, time has been created and brought into existence.
For language learners, understanding how time functions as a subject can lead to more accurate and expressive communication. By treating time as a dynamic entity that affects or creates change, students can move beyond simple descriptions of when something happens and start engaging with the cause-and-effect relationships that time enables.
Time in Proverbial Wisdom
Proverbs are another area where time frequently appears as the subject. These short, memorable sayings often convey deep truths about human nature, and they use time as a tool to communicate wisdom across generations. For example:
- "Time waits for no man."
In this proverb, time is presented as indifferent to human concerns. It moves forward relentlessly, no matter how much we wish otherwise.
- "Better late than never."
This emphasizes that time, while important, is not the ultimate determiner of success. Even when we miss deadlines or fail to act promptly, there is still value in taking action eventually.
For learners, studying proverbs that use time as the subject can be an excellent way to engage with deeper cultural and philosophical meanings. Each language embeds its own understanding of time within its proverbs, allowing learners to not only improve their language skills but also to gain insight into the worldview of its speakers.
Tense and Time: The Intersection of Grammar and Philosophy
A crucial aspect of English is its tense system, which is inextricably linked to time. English has three basic tenses—past, present, and future—but it subdivides these into multiple forms that convey nuances about when actions occur and how they relate to one another.
For example, the present perfect tense ("I have been studying") expresses an action that began in the past and continues into the present. The simple past ("I studied") places an action firmly in the past, while the future perfect ("I will have studied") projects us forward in time, looking back on an action as though it were already completed.
For language learners, mastering these tenses can be challenging but rewarding. It enables them to express complex ideas about time, including cause and effect, duration, and the relationship between past, present, and future events.
Time is a concept that transcends grammar. It permeates every aspect of our lives, shaping how we think, feel, and communicate. In English, time frequently takes on the role of the subject in sentences, acting as an agent of change, a marker of history, and a predictor of future events. For language learners, exploring the ways in which time functions grammatically and philosophically can deepen their understanding not just of English, but of the human condition itself.
As we continue to navigate through the various tenses and structures that make time a focal point of communication, we are also invited to reflect on the nature of time itself. Is time an external force acting upon us, or is it something we create to make sense of our experiences?
Regardless of the answer, one thing is clear: Time, both in language and in life, is a powerful subject worth exploring.
About the Author
Janpha Thadphoothon is an assistant professor of ELT at the International College, Dhurakij Pundit University in Bangkok, Thailand. He holds a certificate in Generative AI with Large Language Models issued by DeepLearning.AI.
No comments:
Post a Comment