Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism posits a cosmic dualism between Ahura Mazda (Wise Lord, the source of truth and goodness) and Angra Mainyu (Destructive Spirit, the source of lies and evil). Time is finite and purposeful, moving toward the Frashokereti — the final renovation in which evil is destroyed and creation is perfected. Human beings are moral agents whose choices in the cosmic battle between asha (truth) and druj (falsehood) matter eschatologically.
I. Time
| Extent | Finite |
| Ontological Status | Substantival |
| Grain | Continuous |
| Freedom | Non-Deterministic |
| Traversability | Linear |
| Dimensionality | One |
| Direction | Uni-directional |
Time is substantival and finite — Ahura Mazda created time as a weapon against Angra Mainyu (evil). Time is linear, moving from creation through the present cosmic battle toward the final renovation (Frashokereti) when evil will be definitively defeated. Time is finite because it has a beginning (creation) and an eschatological end (the triumph of good). It is deterministic in the sense that the outcome — the victory of Asha (truth/order) — is assured.
II. Space
| Extent | Finite |
| Ontological Status | Substantival |
| Curvature | Flat |
| Dimensionality | Three |
| Locality | Local |
Space is substantival and finite — it is the created arena of the cosmic battle between good and evil. Space is flat, three-dimensional, and local: physical creation is the battleground where Asha and Druj (lie/chaos) contend. The material world is good because Ahura Mazda created it as a trap for evil, which entered unbidden.
III. Matter
| Extent | Finite |
| Ontological Status | Substantival |
| Conservation | Conserved |
| Dimensionality | Three |
| Locality | Local |
Matter is substantival and finite — it was created good by Ahura Mazda and subsequently corrupted by Angra Mainyu's intrusion. Matter is conserved: the physical world persists through the cosmic struggle and will be perfected, not destroyed, at the Frashokereti. It is local: material things are concretely situated in the created world. Zoroastrianism values the material world positively as God's good creation.
IV. Observer
| Time Instance | Single |
| Space Instance | Single |
| Extent of Knowledge | Immediate |
| Retainment of Knowledge | Total |
| Physicality | Both |
| Agency | Active |
| Number | Plural |
V. Energy
Finite and substantival — energy is part of Ahura Mazda's good creation, real and purposeful within the material world. Conservation: Conserved — the created order operates according to asha (cosmic order/truth), which implies regularity and conservation in natural processes. Dispersibility: Irreversible — time moves toward the Frashokereti; energy expended in the cosmic battle is not recovered but contributes to the final renovation and perfection of creation.
VI. Information
Ahura Mazda's truth (Asha) is the fundamental informational order — the cosmic conflict encodes binary information (truth vs. lie, good vs. evil). Information is substantival because Asha is a real, objective order. It is conserved because truth ultimately triumphs and cannot be destroyed. It is discrete because the cosmic drama is structured around a fundamental binary: truth or falsehood.