Is there such a thing as time?

Question

The question itself is a simple yes, or no, and the answer is not one which exists in some grey area. Though many ivory tower wannabe philosophers will wax endlessly on questions such as this the answer is simple.

That said, the devil is in the details, and within the reasons as to "why" the answer is the answer.

Yes? No? The answer is simple. Why the answer is the answer not so much.

Answer 1

Most philosophers of time will actually agree that time does in fact exist but differ with respect to what time is. One of the main debates within the philosophy of time is between those who hold the A-Theory of time and those who hold the B-Theory of time.

The A-theory of time is perhaps the more ordinary view of time: time involves there being an ontologically privileged time that we call the present (all other times are either past or future) and which time is present changes (i.e. there is a passage or flow of time).

The B-theory of time, on the other hand, says that there is no objective present time and that there is no passage of time. Rather, time is much like space. One time isn't any less real than another time, just as one point in space isn't any less real than another point in space.

As far as deniers of time's existence go, there is none more famous than John M.E. McTaggart, who is famous for his essay titled, "The Unreality of Time". While he is perhaps the most famous historical figure within contemporary philosophy of time, it's important to note that his view that time is not real is a minority position. As I said before, most philosophers of time will be either A-theorists or B-theorists.

Answer 2

Yes.

How I would define it:

As our (human) way to interpret things such as entropy, growth (biological processes), etc.

So as a human invention as a system of abstract measurement, yes.