Time

This is an email I had to write recently, tell me what you think:

its 7:20.

The concept of time:

Why time? does time exist outside of our understanding of the world? Could the question of time be ontological rather than merely epistemological?

Time, is not important or of value outside of the human condition. This is because, from an existential point of view, nothing is important outside of the human condition. So for the trick question above regarding time being an ontological issue, the answer is yes, it could, or maybe not, the issue is else where, the possibility of time being a non ontological issue is trivial. What is time on the epistemological level then?

Time, like many other questions/issues can not fall out of the human problem. what is the human problem? The human issues/questions/problems are a few, namely:

1. the inevitability of death.

2. the isolation of one from others, no matter how close they can be.

3. the apparent freedom of choice.

4. the (apparent) meaninglessness of life.

of course there are others, but I chose those.

Notice that the first one, has a lot to do with time. Death is merely a problem of time. If we could change the language of time, time itself, if any, rather than the concept of time that we have, we can delay/erase death for example.

Also notice that the isolation from others is related. For example, any group of people, no matter how close together, would need time to become/remain so. The isolation that we experience from others, all others, and the fact that we can only be alone, is not a matter of biology (we could even think of the whole human race as one big organism for example). On the contrary, the issue of isolation could, to my favor, be expressed as the incapability of being at the same place and time with those whom isolation is inevitable. However, the problem with that is that it is untrue, and isolation from others, and the true questions of meaning will arise anyhow. Anyways, the issue remains, that time is closely tied with the concept of isolation and physical and psychological distances.

Time, could be put in analogy with the traffic light. They both have a lot in common, they both function as an automated way to synchronize our movements in relation to others, they both are things we respect without really thoroughly thinking about, they both are things that are necessary to form communities. why is that?

After the success of the car invention, in fact, after the efficiency of the mass production/acquisition of cars in cities, traffic lights came into existence. It was a long process after which, we, as humans familiar with cars, decided that we need something to abide with, something that will keep everybody safe, in order, in line, something that will take us from the jungle condition when it comes to cars, and throw us back in the human condition, where we all can move, without harming, hurting or complicating each others' lives. 

The traffic light is an answer, it is an answer to one of the problems of society. because it seems that living alone is inefficient, but living in a society is also not natural/easy for us. So, why would someone not respect the mutual understanding, made by the human society, to facilitate our lives next to each other? When someone does that, they are implicitly expressing their indifference to humanity. They refuse, unconsciously, to be part of this arrangement, sometimes without an explanation nor a replacement. Don't these people, truly deeply inside, long to be thrown back into the jungle?

Time, is also the same. When the concept was developed/invented/discovered it was a revolutionary achievement.  Something that could synchronize our movement together, so that we can run into each other accordingly. What does it express, for those who do not feel the need for it? Of course I am referring to the analogy above.

anyhow, it is now 7:50, the essay is done. Yasmine just arrived, hello yasmine, yasmine is connecting her laptop to the electricity, thinking that we have a meeting today.

little does she know, that this meeting will not commence,

that this meeting, has totally lost every bit of its meaning

little does she know, that "meeting" is a different concept than "coincidence". This now, is a coincidence, not a meeting, because she is now, 54 minutes late, we might as well have met in a different universe

little does she know yasmine, little does she know..