Reading Analaysis Augustine Book Xi

Augustine,Confessions,BookXIWhatisT imeW itharathergreatersenseofthoughtandtheusageofpoetryunlikethatofPlato s,witharatherdetailedandslightlydiscriminatinganalysisofthetextthatmakeshimoneofthegreatestpsychologistsknowntoman,Augustineexplorestheratherfragileandunpredictablenatureoftime.InthesecondofBookXIfromAugustine sconfessions,wearefacedwitharatherunfor gettablequestion:whatistime.T owardstheendofthebook,itstillremainsunclearwhattheanswerisorifAugustineevenprovidesuswithanactualansweratall.AtthebeginningofthebookweseeAugustinejustifyhisanalysisoftheproblemoftimeasandwhenhereferstoactofcreatingthebookinitself,talksaboutanalyzingtheeventsofthepast,ofhislifethathavenowbecomeapartofhismemory ,andthisiswhatbringsupquestionthatwhatistime,whatisthenatureoftime.First,weseeAugustinetrytodrawaconnectionbetweenGodandtime.W eseehimasktheAlmighty:MayIhearandunderstandhowinthebeginningyoumadeheavenandearth(Gen.1,1).W eoftenseeAugustinestatethatgoddoesn'tbelongtogod,it'ssomethinghedoesn'thavecontroloverasheisnottheonewhocreatedtime.Inthebeginning,therewereonlytwothings,GodandW ord,whichwasGod'sinstrumentforcreation.HereiteratesthenotionthatGodiseternal,whichcanbefoundintheearlierwritings.AlloftimeispresenttoGod,whohasnoconnectiontoit.Furthermore,Godiscompletelyfree,eternal,andeverlasting:Notimesarecoeternalwithyousinceyouarepermanent(SaintAugustineandChadwick230).T imeisforpeopleonly .Ontheotherhand,weseeAugustinetacklethenextproblem,therathercomplicatedquestion:whatisthenatureoftime?Hetalksaboutthepast,thepresentandthefuture.Thefutilenatureoftime,onhowourmemoriesplayarathervitalroleinshapingourpresent,andalsodeterminehowwelookatandperceiveourpastandfuture.T imeissomethingthatisconstantlychangingandevolving.Itssomethingthatoftenhelpsusdrawthelinebetweenfictionandreality ,asitdependsonthethingthatwecansee,thatisinfrontofus,thatsometimesmightappearastheyareandsometimestheymightjustvanishthenextsecond.W eseeAugustinetalkabouthowthepastissomethingthatjustdoesnotexist,itonlyhasthepowertoexistthroughourvaguememories,throughtheflashesweseeandanecdoteswemayormaynotremember ,andalsothatthefutureissomethingwecannotpredictandshouldn'teventrytoasitsonlywhatwewantittobe,it spurelyfueledbyourwhimsandfancies,ourexpectations(SaintAugustineandChadwick243).Hence,timemightonlyexistinthepresent,asthatisatimeperiodwhichtrulyexists,andwherewearesomewhatincontrolofouractionsandoursurroundings.Thoughafterputtingforththisideaandhistheoryonwhatthenatureoftimeactuallyis,weseehimgobackandforthquiteoften.W eseehimsecondguessinghisanalysis.Maybetimeistrulysomethingsubjective,somethingthat'sthreedimensional,somethingthatisofgreatconcerntosome,andissomethingthatexistsinsideofaperson,insidetheirsoul.Inconclusion,itshouldbenotedthatitisevidentthatAugustine'sviewoftimeisaverychallengingone.ItmightbeexplainedbytherelationshipbetweentimeandthemorebasicmaterialbasisofhumansandGod.St.Augustinedemonstratestherudimentarynatureofhumansandtheeverlasting,limitless,unendingpowerandwisdomofGodusinghistheoryoftemporality .