Sublating the Conceptions of the Future in St. Augustine and the Later Moist Canon

Abstract I will first describe the core principles that underpin the traditional Chinese perspective on temporality and future, focusing particularly on the Later Moist view. Then I will introduce the concept of time as developed by St. Augustine, whose work is central to Western philosophy because of its introspective examination of time as an inner, psychological experience, distinct from the more empirical approaches of his predecessors. This foundation in Augustine’s thought provides a critical contrast to the Moist view and enriches our exploration of the subjective and objective dimensions of time. Through a comparative analysis of these two perspectives and the application of the method of transcultural comparative sublation, I aim to illuminate how different approaches to understanding future can shape human perceptions of realities.