Time and Space in Indian Science and Philosophy

Authors: Dr. N. A. Perumal

Pages: 132-135

Abstract:

Philosophy of space and time is the branch of philosophy concerned with the issues surrounding the ontology, epistemology, and character of space and time. While such ideas have been central to philosophy from its inception, the philosophy of space and time was both an inspiration for and a central aspect of early analytic philosophy. The subject focuses on a number of basic issues, including whether or not time and space exist independently of the mind, whether they exist independently of one another, what accounts for time's apparently unidirectional flow, whether times other than the present moment exist, and questions about the nature of identity (particularly the nature of identity over time). "The Vedas, the earliest texts on Indian philosophy and Hindu philosophy, dating back to the late 2nd millennium BC, describe ancient Hindu cosmology, in which the universe goes through repeated cycles of creation, destruction, and rebirth, with each [1] cycle lasting 4,320,000 years. Since the beginning of sentience, the fabric of reality has been the subject of intense curiosity, and the twin concepts of space and time have figured prominently in the thinking of individuals of various intellectual persuasions.