The Problem of Space and Time in Philosophy

Abstract

.            The relationship between time and space is one of the main topics in philosophy, which studies the nature of reality, human perception and existence. This relationship involves various philosophical trends and schools of thought, and its discussion covers many aspects.

In ancient philosophy, especially in Plato and Aristotle, space and time were considered the foundations of physical reality. Plato emphasized in his dialogues that the physical world is only a reflection of the ideal world of ideas, where time and space exist in the context of eternal forms. Aristotle, on the other hand, proposed a more “earthly” approach, viewing time as a measurement of changes associated with movement, and space as the context in which this movement occurs.

          With the advent of modern times, thinkers such as Descartes and Newton began to view time and space as absolute categories. Newton described space as a "receptacle" in which all events take place, and time as something universal and homogeneous. This created the basis for classical mechanics and played a decisive role in understanding physical reality. With the development of German idealism, especially in the works of Kant, there was a significant revaluation of time and space. Kant argued that space and time are not properties of things themselves, but forms of our perception. We cannot know things "as they are", but understand them only in the context of spatio-temporal categories. Thus, space and time become integral aspects of human perception, and not objective characteristics of the external world.