/ 

 V 



CHAPTER II 

 TIME 



THE MOMENT-SIGN 



Just as certainly as that there is no such thing as absolute 

 space, so also is it certain that there is no such thing as 

 absolute time ; for both space and time are merely forms of 

 our human intuition. 



But we have been able to show that it is nevertheless 

 possible to maintain a distinction between objective and sub- 

 jective space, by introducing the possession of local signs 

 as the distinguishing feature. 



We must now ask ourselves whether it is possible to 

 establish the same difference for time. The advance we have 

 made beyond Kant's doctiine consists essentially in the dis- 

 covery of specific spatial qualities (local signs and direction- 

 signs), and in the recognition that space is the form of its own 

 material, just as the musical scale represents the form of the 

 specific material of sounds. 



For the discovery of a specific material for time we are 

 indebted to K. E. von Baer, who based his brilliant exposition 

 concerning the subjective character of time on the moment as 

 the specific time-quality. Felix Gross has revealed the close 

 connection between time and apperception, and we are now 

 in a position to form for ourselves a clear picture of the nature 

 of time. 



Apperception is a life-process, carried out in phases, each 

 of which manifests itself through a sense-sign ; this sign is 

 the moment. 



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