Potential and Actual Time Concepts

Abstract

The approach of philosophy to time differs from that of physics. Whenever these differences are disregarded there is a danger to use the same term for differently perceived phenomena and then false conclusions may be drawn. In general, physics operates with actual time concepts, whilst philosophy generally considers time as a potential form of existence. The two can be brought in accordance, although we should respect the limits how far we can use this or that time concept in the realm of the other discipline. In this article I investigate the temporal sequence as it occurs in an example, which follows the ontological appearance of a phenomenon, namely the sequence of symmetry breaking in the evolution of matter. This process starts with the physical appearance of matter and continues beyond the organic forms of being, up to the development of the human mind. This special outlook beyond physics throws a new light on the comparison between the particular time concept applied by physics and the general time concept of philosophy applicable to all the three fundamental ontological levels. First we restate the general laws of symmetry breaking and then we investigate what role time can play in defining and arranging ontological levels along broken symmetries. I focus on the following issues:

• • Peculiarities of time and its difference from space,

• • The actual and potential properties of the time concept,

• • Time and the direction of the evolution of matter.