Time and communication.

Abstract

This article commences by paying attention to the dual role of signs, as physical subjects and communicative objects – both being correlated with physical law and communicative principles. In order to show that time cannot be reduced to physical time, we shall argue that there are indeed different modes of time differing from the physical and kinematic modes of time. Once the ontic reality of four modal or functional aspects has been established, it will be shown that succession (number), simultaneity (space), uniform flow/persistence/constancy (the kinematic) and (irreversible) change (the physical) are each a mode of time in its own right. Moreover, also within the other aspects of reality ontic time manifests itself, such as evidenced in (heterogeneous) biotic time-order of birth, growth, maturation, ageing and dying. A distinction between time-order and time duration is needed in order to question the widespread view that time is the dimension of change. Change represents only one among multiple modes of time. Against this background, attention is given to communication and the conditioning role of the first four ontic time-orders (with a remark on identity and communication), followed by an account of communication and the other modes of time. The intimate connection between time and communication is explained by highlighting the multiple interconnections between communicative actions and the various modes of time, with a view on the norming role of the latter.