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Things can Exist for Zero Seconds

elucid January 25, 2021 at 16:42 2550 views 6 comments
Hello everybody,

It's a common misconception that if something has only existed for zero seconds, it has not existed at all. But that cannot be true. If it was, then it would mean that each unit of time exists for more than zero seconds, which would result in a contradiction where time is passing and not passing.

To be clear, I will use an example. Suppose it's 12 am. It would not be 12 am for zero seconds and then 12:01 am, it would stay 12 am for say an X amount of time, and that X amount of time would stay there for Y amount of time, and the Y amount of time would be there for Z amount of time, and ad infinitum.

Thank you.

Comments (6)

Raul January 25, 2021 at 17:00 #492847
Reply to elucid
Linguistic aporia, linguistic trap! ... a need for some wittgensteinian linguistic turn? :-)
synthesis January 25, 2021 at 17:25 #492856
Quoting elucid
It's a common misconception that if something has only existed for zero seconds, it has not existed at all.


Time can "exist" for zero seconds just like a container can be empty. You speak of potential, not existence.
elucid January 25, 2021 at 17:34 #492860
Time can "exist" for zero seconds just like a container can be empty. You speak of potential, not existence.


Sorry, I meant to say that each unit of time "can" and only exists for zero seconds.
synthesis January 25, 2021 at 17:47 #492865
Quoting elucid
Sorry, I meant to say that each unit of time "can" and only exists for zero seconds.


Zero time is the moment of transition existing outside of time.
Raul January 25, 2021 at 18:40 #492880
Quoting synthesis
Zero time is the moment of transition existing outside of time.


An astronomist would tell you Zero time is the moment right before the big bang and physicist would talk to you about light being in the border line between space and time.... but isn't it already implicit within the concept of "existing" that space-time is needed?

Nevertheless, as I say in my previous post this is a linguistic trap, you won't get anything out of this because you mix up categories in wrong context. It looks like the question makes sense but it doesn't unless you provide scientific definitions of each of the terms instead of "colloquial" meanings.
It is something like trying to answer what is the color of nothingness for a blind person :lol:
Daniel January 25, 2021 at 19:09 #492887
Reply to elucid

Second, fundamental unit of time, now defined in terms of the radiation frequency at which atoms of the element cesium change from one state to another.

from: https://www.britannica.com/science/second