What then is time?

[marycatelli]

What then is time? If no one asks me, I know what it is. If I wish to explain it to him who asks, I do not know.

Saint Augustine

Comments

[stefan11.livejournal.com]

Augustine is a brilliant mind (though, all too frequently, using his brilliance in service of sophistry).

In this case, I wonder what exactly he means:
1) I do not know what time is; or
2) I do ot know how to explain what time is.

[marycatelli]

I think that he means that as long as he's not thinking about it, he thinks he knows, but as soon as he tries to explain it, that assumption falls apart.