Grasping the Infinite: The Philosophical Conundrum of Boundless Time

The concept of unimaginable time prompts philosophical inquiries into our ability to truly comprehend vast durations and the nature of our mental representations of time. Classic theories of the sublime, as described by thinkers like Kant and Burke, point towards certain objects or ideas being so vast that they elude complete comprehension.

Imagination, in this context, isn’t about creativity, but a type of perceptual grasp. Historically, imagination referred to perceiving an object wholly in one view, but in modern discourse, it also refers to the ability to conjure up mental images of something absent. Time, however, isn’t perceived through external senses, but we have a subjective sense of its passage, influenced by our experiences. Notions of extreme temporal durations, such as the time separating cosmic events, challenge our imaginative capabilities and may even be incomprehensible in their entirety, echoing Kant's mathematical sublime.

Objects or concepts, be they physical or temporal, that seem boundless present a challenge to imagination as they lack definitive boundaries. Temporal expanses, such as those represented by ancient relics, further challenge our perception, with the vastness of history often being hard to fully grasp. Antiquities give a sense of age, which is more tangible than abstract time. The age of artifacts, as noted by art historian Alois Riegl, can invoke emotions of awe and wonder, connecting us not only to the object itself but also to the vast temporal span it has endured.

The comprehension of vast periods of time can be enhanced when encountering relics that are places, such as ruins or painted caves. These relics merge both temporal and spatial distances, allowing an individual to vividly sense both the time and place of their origin. This concept is not to be confused with cosmological spacetime; it is more a 'placetime' that aids human imagination in understanding extended temporal spans.

Of course, beyond just contemplating the distant past, one can also ponder about the distant future. In any case, as we venture into these temporal depths, whether it's the past or future, we are eventually confronted with the overwhelming vastness and complexity of the concept of time.

Inspired by the Pr. Carolyn Korsmeyer's article "Unimaginable Time" published on "The Blog of the American Philosophical Association"