Basic Dichotomy
- Spatial distinction registers a difference as stability and form (the mode of “what this is”).
- Temporal distinction registers a difference as change and transition (the mode of “what is happening”).
This is an ontological rather than grammatical dichotomy: two different modes of registering the same distinction.
1) Spatial Distinction
When a distinction is retained as a configuration:
– a boundary is registered;
– form is retained;
– change is temporarily disregarded.
Typical forms of expression: “table,” “person,” “stone.”
2) Temporal Distinction
When a distinction is retained as dynamics:
– a transition is registered;
– a process is tracked;
– the unchanging character of form is not the primary focus.
Typical forms of expression: “walks,” “falls,” “thinks,” “happened.”
3) Why This Goes Deeper Than Grammar
There is a connection to language, but it is secondary:
| Type of Distinction | Ontological Registration | Typical Linguistic Form |
|---|---|---|
| Spatial | stability | noun |
| Temporal | change | verb |
Grammar can mix levels:
– “explosion” (a noun) designates an event;
– “running” (a nominal form) designates a process.
Consequently, a part of speech does not correspond rigidly to an ontological mode of distinction.
4) An Object as a “Compressed Event”
Working formula:
An object is a process stabilized in observation.
The so-called “static character” of an object is often an effect of:
– prolonged retention of form;
– a local balance of forces;
– ceasing to track microdynamics.
Thus:
– spatial distinction can be understood as temporal distinction brought into a mode of stability.
5) The Reverse Dependence: An Event Does Not Exist Without Structure
An event always happens:
– to something;
– or between things.
Consider “a person is walking”:
– “person” is a spatial registration;
– “is walking” is a temporal registration.
They are inseparable: action without a bearer is empty; an object without processes is abstract.
6) Rigorous Definitions
- Spatial distinction is the registration of a difference as a stable configuration.
- Temporal distinction is the registration of a difference as a change of configuration.
7) Relationship to Predication
Consider “the weather is clear”:
– “weather” establishes the domain/bearer of registration;
– “clear” establishes a predicate of state;
– the judgment itself is an act of registration in time.
Conclusion:
– any judgment can be considered a temporal act connecting spatial registrations.
8) Boundary and Final Frame
Key thesis:
– object and action are not two different entities;
– they are two modes of distinction.
Therefore:
– there are no objects “outside time”;
– there are no actions “without structure.”
There are different ways of retaining one and the same distinction.
9) Condensed Formulas
- Object = a distinction stabilized over time.
- Event = a distinction observed in change.
- Meaning = the mechanism of transition between form (space) and process (time).