Time, Space & Matter
The physical universe in full
Overview
Time, space, and matter together constitute the classical scientific description of the physical universe. Matter occupies space and changes through time. This triad is the domain of mechanics, chemistry, cosmology, and biology — every science that studies how physical things behave and evolve. The question is whether this triad is complete, or whether it requires further grounding in an observer or an energetic substrate.
Central Tension
The great divide is between those who regard this triad as self-sufficient — a closed system governed by natural law — and those who argue it is either observer-dependent (idealism, quantum mechanics) or divinely sustained (theism). Within the triad itself, the deeper question is which member is most fundamental: does matter define space-time relations (relationism), or does spacetime exist independently as the stage on which matter acts (absolutism)?
Key Philosophical Questions
- Is the physical universe — matter in space through time — self-explanatory, or does it require a cause outside itself?
- Which is most fundamental: matter as substance, space as extension, or time as change?
- Does the structure of spacetime emerge from the distribution of matter, or does matter exist within a pre-given spacetime?
- Can a universe of matter, space, and time exist without any observer — and if so, in what sense is it "real"?
Schools of Thought
This triad is all there is; the physical universe is self-subsistent and governed entirely by natural law.
Matter, space, and time all exist independently, and science progressively reveals their true structure.
The material configuration at any moment in space fully determines all future states; the triad is a closed causal system.
Matter in motion through time is the engine of all change; space is the arena, and time is the dimension of historical development.
Matter, space, and time are all created realities — dependent on God for their existence and sustained by his ongoing providential governance.
All three are computed properties of a substrate simulation; matter is data, space is the grid, and time is the iteration cycle.
Synthesis
The triad of time, space, and matter is the foundation of every physical science. Whether it is complete in itself or points beyond itself to an observer, an energetic ground, or a creator, it remains the irreducible core of any account of the physical world.
Related Dimension Pairs