53). Note that there would
have been a similar game in which also, as we might say, time was
involved, that of just laying out a series of life pictures.
We might play this game with the help of words which would correspond
to our “before” and
“after”.
In this sense we may say that 53) involves the ideas of before and
after, but not the idea of a measurement of time.
I needn't say that an easy step would lead us from the
narrations in 51), 52), & 53) to narrations in
words.
Possibly someone
46.
considering such forms of
narration might think that in them the real idea of time isn't
yet involved at all, but only some crude substitute for it, the position
of a clock hand and such like.
Now if a man claimed that there is an idea of “five
o'clock” which does not bring in a clock, that the clock
is only the coarse instrument indicating when it is five
o'clock or that there is an idea of an hour which does not
bring in an instrument for measuring the time, I will not contradict
him, but I will ask him to explain to me what his use of the term
“an hour” or “five o'clock”
is.
And if it is not that involving a clock, it is a different one; and
then I will ask him why he uses the term “five
o'clock”, “an hour”, “a long
time”, “a short time”, etc.,
in one case in connection with a clock, in the other independent of one;
it will be because of certain analogies holding between the two uses,
but we have now two uses of these terms, and no reason to say that
one of them is less real and pure than the other.
This might get clearer by considering the following
example:
54). If we
give a person the order, “Say a number, any one which
comes into your mind”, he can generally comply with it at
once.
Suppose it were found that the numbers thus said on request increased
– – with every normal person – – as the day went on; a man starts
out with some small number every morning and reaches the highest number
before falling asleep at night.
Consider what could tempt one to call the reactions described
“a means of measuring time” or even to say that they are
the
real milestones in the passage of time, the sun clocks,
etc.
47.
being only indirect
markers. || indicators.
(Examine the statement that the human heart is the real clock behind
all the other clocks).