The Quale of Time
Philosophies April 15, 2019 DOI: 10.3390/philosophies4020016 (opens in new tab) via DOAJ
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractTime is no different from any other qualia—it is an emergent level of consciousness. Like all qualia, time inherits qualities from prior levels, receives top-down influence from higher levels, and impresses top-down influence on lower levels. This phenomenological analysis argues that time, despite its perceived importance in science and philosophy, arises from the same emergent structure of consciousness as other subjective experiences.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Keywords | Time Qualia Emergence Inheritance Top-down |
| Key finding | Argues that time is an emergent quale of consciousness, manifesting all properties of emergence like any other qualia. |
Abstract
Time is one of the greatest subjects of interest to the disciplines of both Science and Philosophy, being seen to have a greater importance in the workings of reality than other entities. In this paper, a phenomenological analysis of time based on the general workings of the emergent structure of consciousness will be done, and time will be shown to be no different than any other qualia. It will be shown that, like any other qualia, time is an emergent level of consciousness, manifesting all the properties of emergence: inheritance of qualities from the previous levels, top-down influence in levels received from the higher levels and top-down influence in levels impressed on the lower levels.