Why Time is Unreal: From Buddhism To J.E. McTaggart

Abstract

          It is an exercise of a curious mind to investigate into the conceptual thought from two opposite side of the globe-J. E. McTaggart from the Western world and Theravada Buddhist philosophy from the east. McTaggart is famous for his 1908 controversial writing, The Unreality of time, which has been widely opposed by a number of physicists, scientists and philosophers. However, his conclusion that time is unreal resembles what has been claimed 2,500 year ago by Lord Buddha. This study will try to examine if their arguments on the concept of time show any similarities or it is merely their conclusion that is accidentally identical.