studies on time at the iea-usp
From March to July, 1988, a group of professors of USP, UNICAMP and the Paulista School of Medicine systematically gathered at USP's Institute of Biomedical Sciences for the creation of a group of studies on the issue of time. This multidisciplinary working group wanted to address time as an integrating element in analysis, in study and in the view of different areas of knowledge.
During that work period in which the feasibility of the proposal was tested, discussions have been guided by contributions from group members and other participants. There was an attempt for an initial characterization of the treatment given to the issue of time by different areas of knowledge. The interdisciplinary discussion permitted to effect the exchange and incorporation of particular concepts of each discipline. The theoretical analysis of time led to discussions on the mode of appropriation and use of the same physics, music, cinema, psychology, biology, anthropology and astronomy , with a highly positive balance .
The temporal dimension of phenomena constitutes a concern for many areas of knowledge , both in the field of philosophy , literature and arts as in the field of biological and exact sciences .
This temporal dimension can be analyzed from the point of view of its generality , as a dimension of nature through philosophical issues order on the essence of time . The group may also discuss the various appropriations of time made by the various disciplines , through questions about how time is handled in each area of knowledge. In reality , the two questions are complementary , in that each particular ownership refers explicitly or implicitly , to a conception of time as a whole.
Different cultures may have different perceptions of time , for example, linear and cyclic views of different cultures.
It seems plausible that these different conceptions are expressed in different forms of social appropriation of time in art or science, for example.
The time dimension is an important element in artistic creation , music and film this dimension seems to be decisive . Through the " temporal pattern" contained in a work of art, perhaps you can uncover new aspects of this work and enrich our understanding of both the artistic phenomenon as the concept of time . The same manner and as part of this process , is part of the study of the mechanisms of time perception , as in the fields of psychology and biology. In these areas , the temporal distribution of events can be a determining factor of the resultant perception, but also the temporal order can give meaning to events .
In the field of biology , there is a current debate about the temporal organization of living matter ; debate that stems from observation of phenomena linked to biological rhythmicity and demonstration of the existence and operation of biological clocks that takes the name of chronobiology .
The above examples illustrate the present concern with the temporal dimension in various disciplines and reflect partial and succinctly some of the previous discussions by this interdisciplinary group .
The balance of the initial discussions led the group to propose his connection with the Institute of Advanced Studies ( IEA / USP ) . The Study Group on Time ( GET ) was approved by the trustees of the Institute for Advanced Studies in late 1988 . As of February 1989 , the GET is reunu every fortnight at the headquarters of the IEA , for seminars and debates on the issue of time , also elaborating the program of activities for the current year . The Study Group Time will sponsor and organize the presentation of seminars , lectures , conferences and / or roundtables . These activities , within an interdisciplinary perspective , are the basic material for discussions between members of the Group and the basis for future development of a summary document of the work of this Study Group . The following themes were selected for 1989 :
1) Time in Different Cultures
2) Time in Philosophy and History
3) Time in the Arts
4) Weather in the Natural Sciences
5) Weather in Poetry and Literature
6) The Time in Psychology
7) Weather in the Media
Text from Advanced Studies , vol . 4 , n . 8