Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-02-27
Is there an Absolute Present?

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It's author AYERS that Z" all tim
is made up of the past and future
They are in absolute contact, thu
present being simply the poin
where they meet, and is absolutely
without duration"
The very terms in which he states
these propositions contradict his
position, and make him appear to
be the same man that attempted to
lift himself over the fence by pull
ing at his boot straps. Why does
he not say they were in absolute
contact, or that they will be in alb
solute contact" He uses terms
representing that which he says has
no existence. If there is no pres
ent it is absurd to say that " they
are in contact.
He recites the correct definitions
of a mathematical line, "length
without breadth or thickness" and
of a mathematical point-''the ex-
tremity of line, or position with
out magnitude. !" But the defni-
ton according to his hypothesis
should be a mathematical line was,
or win be, the present time.
For evidence of this assertion,
that he makes a mathematical line
and the present, identical, examine
his illustration. He draws this
mathematical line across a steam of
water, flowing at the rate of one
mile per hour, equi-distant from
two mathematical points, ten miles
apart. Then with an arrogant
confidence he asserts that because
there is no part of the ten hours oc-
cupied in crossing this line, for it
constitutes no part of the distance,
ten miles; therefore it takes no
time for the water to flow no dis
lance; ergo, there is no present
time.
Mira5He dictu r! Is it not a
great misfortune that such a bril-
liant genius did not discover the
great truth, that there was no flow
of the water at all at that line ? |
For certainly water can only flow
by passing from one point to anoth-
er, or from one line across the |
stream to another line across it. But
instead of such legitimate conclu-
sion from the self-eVident PROPOSE
ton that it takes no time for water
to flow no distance; he draws the
irrelevant and absurd conclusion
that there is no present time.
% The. writer assumes the point In
debate. He is guilty of igaOrtio eLenchi;.
Of 21etitio i0rincipiij' OF arguing in a
circle.
1t is mere assumption to state
hat there is no present time be-
cause the mathematical line, or point
which divides any given distance
nto parts, constitutes no part of
he distance. There is as much
ruth, and as much logic, in affirm
ng that there is no present time
because straight line is the short
9st distance between two points;
(2) And is as conclusive an argu-
u snt, as in the assertion, that because
{ takes no time for water 10 flow no
distance; therefore, there is 10 present.
The gentleman has failed to make
! distinction between the points that ,
MEASURE or divide time and time !
self He does not discriminate 7
etween time considered as made {
p Of discontinuous and continuous '
arts. r
81 DiscontinuOus number is num- @
er conceived as made up of =
mite parts, or it is number which l
Asses from one stare OF aggregation 10
mother by the successive additions of q
uite units, that is units of appreciable !
Magnitude. u
Continuous number is number
'hich is conceived as com posed of in y
nIeslmAl parts; or il is number which
asses from one state of value to an I
Their 10y passing through all Interme-
tate values.
" Tim Is usually conceived as made
p of uIscon.iuuOus parts, or by the
IcceSsive additions OF flute units As n
hen we think of it as mad up OF
ours, days, weeks, months, etc. But {
Is evident, that such is not the Way
ne actually grove. a period of one 4.
our does not grow t. lie a period of :
lie day by taking on a whole hour at
time, or even whole second. 1t @
rows by imperceptihle increments.
passes through all the intermediate =
aiues from one pOiut to another" l
hese iufiHitesi nal increments are the e
resent and always separate the future Y
q m the pas.
The gentleman says: eff there a
present time, how long is it?" I
,et us 90 back to the stl cam con- 4
Give a globule of water, whose
entire is over a given point distant i
en- miles from another given point. t
low, it begins to move toward the
Their point and, when it has gone
We miles, did it get there by the !
editions of the finite unit of one
Tile at time to the distance be-
ind it? Certainly not. 1t passed I
trough all the intermediate valves
ON zero to FIVE miles. Can the 1
entleman tell the length of the in +
increment passed over '
any instant? No, he can not. 1
ut because he can not tell its I
W 18th 70 ~ 1oo;oo1 -. oooo;b1o - | n