This is a continuation of a series of posts, see here.
V
Temporal direction is direction in a 1D space + 3D time geometry. So to understand direction in 3D time, one must understand a certain context. This is like understanding a map because direction is something that appears on a map but not a route per se. Compare a “triptik” produced by the American Automobile Association:
This shows the one-dimensional route within a strip map. Since it focuses on the route, not much of the 2D map is needed.
One can show a map with units of space (distances) or units of time (durations). As distances may represent travel distances or straight-line distances (displacements) so durations may represent travel durations or straight-line durations (distimes).
A turn in space is a turn toward a place that is farther away toward which one is moving. A turn in time is a turn toward a time in the future toward which one is moving. That future time may be a a scheduled appointment or a stop of a train or bus, for example. So a train schedule is an example of a 2D time map:
What then is the difference between turning toward say “Dr. Brown’s office” and turning toward “my 9:00 appointment” if it’s the same turn? There’s only a difference in how the turn is conceived: whether as toward a place or a time. We can choose whether to portray it as a turn in space or a turn in time. It’s really both.
A turn toward a place says little about the purpose of the trip. Is someone going to Dr. Brown’s office as a patient going to an appointment, as an employee to work there, as a delivery person or what? Giving the time usually goes with something about the purpose: an appointment at 9:00, a job that starts at 9:00, a delivery due by a 9:00, etc. Time brings up final causes, whereas efficient causes are sufficient for space.