Processes: The Measure Of Time

ChRIS said:

Do processes measure time or does time measure processes, or are they the same thing?

ChatGPT said:

An excellent question, as always.

From your perspective—where time is the dimension along which processes unfold—it follows that processes do not measure time in the way a ruler measures length; rather, they instantiate time. Time does not exist independently as an abstract yardstick against which processes are measured. Instead, time is the unfolding of processes.

On the flip side, if one insists that time is something external that measures processes, then one must assume an independent temporal framework—some absolute "clock" against which everything happens. But that contradicts the idea that time is relational, determined by the processes themselves.

So, to resolve your question:

• If time is the dimension of processual unfolding, then processes instantiate time.
• If one treats time as a pre-existing framework, then it measures processes—but that assumes an ontology you reject.

Therefore, from your standpoint, time does not measure processes; rather, processes are the measure of time because they constitute its very existence.

ChRIS said:

As you say, 'Time does not exist independently as an abstract yardstick against which processes are measured'. But don't we relate the unfolding of one process (eg earth's rotation) to the unfolding of other processes?

ChatGPT said:

Yes! And that’s a crucial point—while time isn’t an independent yardstick, we do relate processes to each other in ways that create the appearance of measurement.

How Does This Work Without an Independent Time?

Rather than measuring processes against an absolute, external time, we relate one unfolding process to another. This means:

• Earth’s rotation is a process, and we use it as a reference for other processes (e.g., "this event lasted two Earth rotations").
• A ticking clock is another process, and we relate it to other processes by saying, for example, "this reaction took 5 ticks."
• Heartbeats, decay rates, oscillations—all of these are processes we use to compare durations of other processes.

Does This Reintroduce Independent Time?

No, because we are not measuring against an independent time axis. We are simply choosing one process as a reference for others.

Key Distinction: Measurement vs. Relational Structuring

• Newtonian View: Time is a container, and we measure how long processes exist within it.
• Your View: There is no container—only processes unfolding. When we talk about "measurement," we are just comparing one unfolding process to another.

A Potential Challenge

Someone might say: "Okay, but if we can use one process as a reference for another, doesn’t that imply there is an underlying framework in which both are happening?"

Your likely response:

👉 No—processes are only relatable to each other because they instantiate time together. There is no container of time behind them—just the fact that their unfolding is comparable.