A question that every philosopher of time faces is whether or not time flows or is stationary. The two possible answers, that time flows as a rate of change with respect to something else, or that people advance through a stationary time, are constantly in debate. If time actually does flow, it would have to flow with respect to something else. Flow as a rate of change is such a type of motion that it would cause a sort of hypertime to be created This hypertime would also have to flow, therefore having a hyper-hypertime, which would have a hyper-hyper-hypertime, and so on; the flow of time would include a flow of something else that would include the flow of something else, and so on. The idea that time flows is extremely confusing, if not impractical. The idea that time is stationary and that

humans advance through it makes much more sense. Stationary time would mean that the passage of time is an illusion. This idea indicates that human consciousness advances up a timelike

Religious beliefs regarding time are as ancient as the concept of time itself. In fact, the Gregorian Calendar, by which much of the North American continent abides, has its deepest roots in religion - most calendars do. Some religions believe, in accordance with the theory of a limited linear time, that there will be a general judgment day for all - the day when time will cease to exist. Other religions (such as that of the Ancient Egyptians) believe that there is an immediate judgment for each individual and that if there is an end of time, it will be hailed when the/a Creator calls Her children home.

What can one conclusively say about time? There are numerous possible explanations; there are so many theories. What does the human race know about time that is absolutely fact-based? The best definition of time is that it is a “continuum that lacks spatial dimensions” (“time”). This definition is precise, but still vague, and one must come to the realization that it is the possible explanations - the theories - that make time such an interesting topic. It was Plato’s belief that time is the “circular motion of the heavens,” but Aristotle held firm in his rebuttal of this theory in his belief that time is the “number of movement in respect of the before and after, and is she continuous…In respect of size there is no minimum; for every line is divided ad infinitum. Hence it is so with time.” (Dowden) Aristotle argued that time was neither the circular motion of the heavens, nor any other motion, but that time is used to measure motion. Another theory, in contrast to Aristotle’s, was proposed by Thomas Aquinas and St. Agustine. Both believed that time had a religiously affiliated beginning (Genesis) and an end (Judgment), regardless of any recurring patterns in nature. Henry of Ghent and Giles of Rome agreed in their belief that time exists in reality as a mind-independent continuum, but is distinguished into earlier and later parts only by the mind (Dowden). If one could imagine a circle and a line, taking the continuity of the circle

Some topics in this essay:
, Heracleitus Greek, Pythagoreans Plato, Giles Rome, Ancient Egyptians, Parmenides Eleatic, North American, Dowden Aristotle, Plotinus Bhudda, philosophers manifold, Genesis Judgment, process philosophers, past future, idea stationary humans, rate change, life death, stationary humans, flow else, people believe, include flow else, philosophers maintain, explanations theories,