Friis, J: Thinking Time

Thinking Time investigates the metaphysics involved in the study time. The way we tend to think about the world, including our common-sense notions and the scientific ideas we are working on, are full of metaphysical background theory. The underlying assumption of this book is that time - scientific or subjective - cannot be understood isolated from other aspects concerning human existence and activities. However, there is a long tradition within Western thinking that seeks to elliminate any subjective representation of reality, regarding subjectivity as the nest of illusions. This is of course only partially correct. Subjectivity can never be omitted - we simply cannot access any subject-independent reality without the use of perception and mind. In other words, the only access to this world beneath our immediate awareness is the origin of our concepts and experiences and their complex interrelations with the real world.