Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-03-19
There is an Absolute Present.

y
chronic performance of a chronic
philosophy.
In former article, | stated tina
the fallacy in Mr.. Sherwocd's argu
ment consists in making the thing
measured and the means of meas
urement identical. This PROPOSE
ton Mr.. Sherwood denies. The
means of measurement referred to
are the point and the line. Mr..
Sherwood, in his article of January
Odd. saws "all time is made up of
the past and the future. They are
in absolute contact, the present be-
ing simply the point where they
meet" In his illustration, which
he repeats so often in SO many ways,
he invariably makes the point or the
line. as the case may
be, represent the present.
This is fallacy. For he
assumes that when one half of a
given period is gone, that the other
half is in the future. That is
assuming the point in discussion as
promise, which is also illogical,
and is sOphistical reasoning.
Mr.. S. says he will give another
illustration, that he may even con-
vince me. He adds that it is his
custom to use illustrations in teach
ing until the most stupid dolt sees
the point. Now, Mr.. s., l see one
point very clearly, that it is the
same old illustration in a different
dress. 1t is simply body in MOI
ton, passing from one given point
to another, and when at the middle
point half the time is past and the
other half is to come. 1t seems
that a brain so fertile might adduce
some other illustration as substi-
tute for argument.
But let us examine Mr.. SIS illus
tration of the pendulum. He says:
'We will suppose the arc through
which the pendulum vibrates is
precisely one foot long; then,
as it will take Just one
second for the pendulum
to pass from one end of the arc to
the other, it will, of course, take
Just half a second to go half way.
Now it is just as clear that the en-
tire half second is gone as it is that
the pendulum has made an entire
half foot; and it is also just as
plain thai the other half second is
yet to come, as it is that the pendu-
lum must move another entire half
foot in order to reach the end of the
arc"
Here, as in all former illustrations
he assumes the point in debate. The
pendulum moving from one end of
the arc to the other, is continuous
motion. 1t is in motion at every
point. When it has passed over
one-half it Is then traversing the
other half. If one-half of the Sc
cOnd is gone, there is a part of the
other half present, hence it Is not
all to come.
Mr.. s. admits that an act that is
literally instantaneous and occupy
ng no time at all, is abSolutel y in
Then if there is no
present time, the pendulum
mast traverse the arc in past
II future time. If the pendulum
raverses the arc in past time, it
,ets at the middle point in past
ime, or behind time, and it is abb
urd to say that half of the second
; to come in which it is to traverse
he other halfo the arc, for it is
moving in past time. fit traverses
he arc il future time, it is at the
middle point in future time, and it is
equally absurd to say haf of the
ecOnd is past.
If an act can be performed in the
,ast at all, l can see no reason why
lot a century in the past as we'll as
second in the past, If it can be
performed in the future at all, | can
zee no reason why not perform an
lct ten centurys ahead. There is
10 present. l wonder which am
writing in, the past or the future
But it is absolutely impossible to
perform an act in past time; it Is
impossible to perform an
lct in future time it is absolutely
to conceive of an act
hat occupies no time at all, and
since there is absolutely no
present, it is absolutely impos-
3ible to perform an act at all,
,r have even a conception of its
performance if Mr.. Sherwood's
,heory is correct.
But we are conscious that we live
n time; we are conscious that we
IAN not recall the past, however
lear it may be; We are conscious
hat we can not act in the future,
wen a moment ahead +; we are con-
cious of a present; We are also
conscious that the hour is made up
~ these infnitesimal increments
which constitute the present.
Mr. Sherwood does the Dendulum