04 April 2013

from Lawrence, Sunday PhiloMadrid meeting: Time + Lunch

Time

Dear friends,

After such a long period of holidays, this Sunday we are discussing: Time.

One curious feature of time is that we always run out of it just when we need it most; it's a bit
like banking in a way!

In the meantime Ruel has sent us a link to this essay and I have written of few lines basically,
trying to go back to basics.

This Sunday we have to fix a date for the Lunch.

Best Lawrence


----Ruel----
Hi Lawrence,
Here's a link to the essay I wrote re the PhiloMadrid topic on Sunday.
http://ruelfpepa.wordpress.com/2013/03/25/on-time/
Hasta luego.
Ruel

----Lawrence---

The problem with this subject for us is that it is so wide and broad that we can easily get lost. Of
course, I have no intention of solving the issue of time in philosophy now. Nor am I going to
consider the traditional problems of time in philosophy for example, what is time? Is the future
real? Or the off shot issues of time for example: time and fatalism.

However, I do want to briefly explore how best we can approach the topic. Today we are in a position
where scientists try to understand the nature of time through physical investigation. The perception
of time, for example, is a topic in psychology and neuroscience that refers to our sense of time.
And then we have the language application of time: past, present and future. And finally we have the
every day use of time, the one we refer to from our clocks and watches and our diary.

Although at face value the time we are considering in these different disciplines is different from
each other, from our point of view we still have to ask whether this is indeed the same time despite
the perception that we are looking at different types of time. If for the sake of argument there is
just one form of time, then: 1) does time have causal effects, in other words is time subject to the
laws (rules) of causality? 2) What effect does time have on us? And other entities in the universe?
Indeed does time have a mass?

In other words, is time some objective entity in the universe in the same way that a gold atom is an
objective entity or a neutron star is an objective entity, or maybe uric acid is an objective entity
in our body?

And if it is not an objective entity then surely it has no place in the universe? Or to rephrase
this question, is time a figment of our imagination, even if it is a useful figment? Indeed this
would explain why we have so many different concepts of time. It is not that there are different
types of times out there but rather we have different classification of time each engineered for a
specific application and context in our life.

I would therefore conclude that the first philosophical issue we have to settle is whether time is
an entity out there or a state of affairs in our brain?

----Lunch at the Segoviano----
1) Last Sunday we discussed the possibility of organising a lunch at the centro and I asked Encarna
for details. However, we still have to organise the date so you can think about this lunch and find
a gap in your busy diary. I also have a pending appointment at the hospital and won't know the dates
until next week. What is sure is that we start lunch at 3:30pm and then start the meeting as usual.
In the meantime we can think about the menu:
-Starters (frituras variadas), Entrecot o Cochinillo con ensalada, Postre- cafe-bebida. 25 euros per
person.
-Alternative option 1: fish or vegetarian but you will have to speak to Encarna about this, I've got
her number so please ask me or her when you come to the meeting. 25 euros per person
-Alternative option 2: cochido completo (plus the extras above) 20 euros per person.
(Looking at the menu you might think this is a challenge to this week's subject, but I am assured
that the food is very good!!!)

take care and have a good holiday,

Lawrence


Lawrence: 606081813
Blog: http://philomadrid.blogspot.com.es/
PhiloMadrid Meeting
Meet 6:30pm
Centro Segoviano
Alburquerque, 14
28010 Madrid
914457935
Metro: Bilbao

-----------Ignacio------------
Thursday's Open Tertulia in English
Important Notice: From December 1st, the Tertulia will take place at O'Donnells (ex-Moore's) Irish
Pub, c/ Barceló 1 (metro Tribunal)
http://sites.google.com/site/tertuliainenglishmadrid/





from Lawrence, Sunday PhiloMadrid meeting: Time + Lunch

No comments: