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Is Ibn Sina’s Theory of Time Compatible with McTaggart’s B-Series?

Year 2019, Volume: 17 Issue: 2, 530 - 544, 31.12.2019
https://doi.org/10.18317/kaderdergi.602231

Abstract

Ibn Sina, indubitably one of the most essential
philosophers of Islamic Philosophy, constructed a new account of time
independently of Aristotle’s system, despite the major Aristotelian impact on
his time. Whilst doing this in his book Kitab
Al-Shifa
, Ibn Sina also gave a proof for the reality of time based on
certain notions such as motion, speed, spatial magnitude, and the capacity he
calls “imkan” which is a divisible
magnitude, possessing before and after essentially; and how “time” is required
in order for these notions to gain meaning.

The question concerning the reality of time has
attracted great attention from contemporary philosophers as well. J. Ellis
McTaggart argued time to be an illusion in his highly controversial yet
influential article “The Unreality of Time”. In this article and in his book The Nature of Existence McTaggart
claimed that time is unreal on the basis that our descriptions of time are
either circular, contradictory or insufficient. McTaggart constructed his
disproof on two different ways to cite positions in time; one being the
“A-series”, which identifies time as past, present and future moments, and the
other being the “B-series”, which basically identifies time as earlier and
later moments.

This study aims at answering the question whether the
temporal system presented by Ibn Sina is compatible with McTaggart’s B-theory
of time or not.







Keywords: Ibn Sina, Time, Spatial Magnitude, Imkan, Motion, McTaggart, B-series

References

  • Avicenna. The Physics of the Healing. Tr. Jon McGinnis. Provo-Utah: Brigham Young University Press, 2009.
  • Broad, C. D. An Examination of McTaggart’s Philosophy Volume 2, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1938.
  • Faye, Jan. “Introduction”. Perspectives on Time. Ed. Jan Faye – Uwe Scheffler – Max Urchs. 1-58. Dordrecht: Springer Science+Business Media, 1997.
  • Girle, Rod. Modal Logics and Philosophy. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2000.
  • Leclerc, Ivor. The Nature of Physical Existence. Lanham: University Press of America, 1986.
  • McTaggart, J. Ellis. “The Unreality of Time”, Mind 17/68 (October 1908): 457-474.
  • McTaggart, J. Ellis. The Nature of Existence Volume 1, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1921.
  • McTaggart, J. Ellis. The Nature of Existence Volume 2, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1927.
  • Mellor, D. Hugh. “Thank Goodness That’s Over”. The New Theory of Time. Ed. L. Nathan Oaklander – Quentin Smith. 293-304. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1994.
  • Oaklander, L. Nathan. “McTaggart’s Paradox and the Tensed Theory of Time”. The New Theory of Time. Ed. L. Nathan Oaklander – Quentin Smith. 157-162. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1994.
  • Prior, Arthur N. Past, Present and Future. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1967.
  • Rescher, Nicholas. – Urquhart, Alasdair. Temporal Logic. Wien: Springer-Verlag, 1971.
  • Øhrstrøm, Peter. – Hasle, Per F. V. Temporal Logic: From Ancient Ideas to Artificial Intelligence. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1995.

İbn Sina'nın Zaman Teorisi McTaggart'ın B Serisi İle Uyumlu mu?

Year 2019, Volume: 17 Issue: 2, 530 - 544, 31.12.2019
https://doi.org/10.18317/kaderdergi.602231

Abstract

İslam
felsefesinin tartışmasız en önemli filozoflarından biri olan İbn Sina,
dönemindeki yoğun Aristoteles etkisine karşılık, Aristoteles’in sisteminden
bağımsız yeni bir zaman sistemi kurmuştur. Şifa
isimli kitabında bu sistemi sunan İbn Sina, aynı zamanda hareket, hız, mekansal
büyüklük gibi belli kavramların yanında bölünebilir bir büyüklük olan ve
zorunlu bir şekilde öncelik ve sonralığa sahip olan bir kapasite olarak
tanımladığı imkana dayalı bir zamanın gerçekliği savunusu yapmakla birlikte bu
kavramların anlam kazanabilmesi için zaman kavramına ihtiyacımız olduğunu
göstermiştir.

Zamanın
gerçekliği sorusu, güncel felsefenin aktörlerinden de büyük dikkat çekmiştir.
Bu isimlerden biri olan J. Ellis McTaggart, hayli tartışmalı olmasının yanısıra
etkili de olan “Zamanın Gerçekdışılığı” başlıklı makalesinde zamanın bir
illüzyondan ibaret olduğunu tartışmıştır. McTaggart, gerek bu makalede gerekse Varoluşun Doğası isimli kitabında
zamanın gerçek olmadığını ve zamana dair verdiğimiz her tanımın döngüsel,
çelişkili veya yetersiz olduğunu savunmuştur. McTaggart, bu ispatını zamandaki
anların birbirine nispetle iki farklı şekilde sınıflandırılabileceği varsayımı
üzerine kurgulamıştır. Buna göre A serisi, zamandaki anları geçmiş, şu an ve
gelecek şeklinde konumlandırırken B serisi, öncelik ve sonralık ilişkisi ile
konumlandırmaktadır.





Bu
çalışma, İbn Sina’nın sunduğu zaman sisteminin McTaggart’ın B serisi ile uyumlu
olup olmadığı sorusunu cevaplamayı amaçlamaktadır.

Anahtar kelimeler: İbn
Sina, Zaman, Mekansal Büyüklük, İmkan, Hareket, McTaggart, B serisi
 

References

  • Avicenna. The Physics of the Healing. Tr. Jon McGinnis. Provo-Utah: Brigham Young University Press, 2009.
  • Broad, C. D. An Examination of McTaggart’s Philosophy Volume 2, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1938.
  • Faye, Jan. “Introduction”. Perspectives on Time. Ed. Jan Faye – Uwe Scheffler – Max Urchs. 1-58. Dordrecht: Springer Science+Business Media, 1997.
  • Girle, Rod. Modal Logics and Philosophy. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2000.
  • Leclerc, Ivor. The Nature of Physical Existence. Lanham: University Press of America, 1986.
  • McTaggart, J. Ellis. “The Unreality of Time”, Mind 17/68 (October 1908): 457-474.
  • McTaggart, J. Ellis. The Nature of Existence Volume 1, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1921.
  • McTaggart, J. Ellis. The Nature of Existence Volume 2, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1927.
  • Mellor, D. Hugh. “Thank Goodness That’s Over”. The New Theory of Time. Ed. L. Nathan Oaklander – Quentin Smith. 293-304. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1994.
  • Oaklander, L. Nathan. “McTaggart’s Paradox and the Tensed Theory of Time”. The New Theory of Time. Ed. L. Nathan Oaklander – Quentin Smith. 157-162. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1994.
  • Prior, Arthur N. Past, Present and Future. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1967.
  • Rescher, Nicholas. – Urquhart, Alasdair. Temporal Logic. Wien: Springer-Verlag, 1971.
  • Øhrstrøm, Peter. – Hasle, Per F. V. Temporal Logic: From Ancient Ideas to Artificial Intelligence. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1995.
There are 13 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Religious Studies
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Hanife Bilgili 0000-0001-5639-8642

Publication Date December 31, 2019
Submission Date August 6, 2019
Acceptance Date November 20, 2019
Published in Issue Year 2019 Volume: 17 Issue: 2

Cite

APA Bilgili, H. (2019). Is Ibn Sina’s Theory of Time Compatible with McTaggart’s B-Series?. Kader, 17(2), 530-544. https://doi.org/10.18317/kaderdergi.602231
AMA Bilgili H. Is Ibn Sina’s Theory of Time Compatible with McTaggart’s B-Series?. Kader. December 2019;17(2):530-544. doi:10.18317/kaderdergi.602231
Chicago Bilgili, Hanife. “Is Ibn Sina’s Theory of Time Compatible With McTaggart’s B-Series?”. Kader 17, no. 2 (December 2019): 530-44. https://doi.org/10.18317/kaderdergi.602231.
EndNote Bilgili H (December 1, 2019) Is Ibn Sina’s Theory of Time Compatible with McTaggart’s B-Series?. Kader 17 2 530–544.
IEEE H. Bilgili, “Is Ibn Sina’s Theory of Time Compatible with McTaggart’s B-Series?”, Kader, vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 530–544, 2019, doi: 10.18317/kaderdergi.602231.
ISNAD Bilgili, Hanife. “Is Ibn Sina’s Theory of Time Compatible With McTaggart’s B-Series?”. Kader 17/2 (December 2019), 530-544. https://doi.org/10.18317/kaderdergi.602231.
JAMA Bilgili H. Is Ibn Sina’s Theory of Time Compatible with McTaggart’s B-Series?. Kader. 2019;17:530–544.
MLA Bilgili, Hanife. “Is Ibn Sina’s Theory of Time Compatible With McTaggart’s B-Series?”. Kader, vol. 17, no. 2, 2019, pp. 530-44, doi:10.18317/kaderdergi.602231.
Vancouver Bilgili H. Is Ibn Sina’s Theory of Time Compatible with McTaggart’s B-Series?. Kader. 2019;17(2):530-44.