First Outline of a System of the Philosophy of Nature

But empirical infinity is an infinite becoming. Every infinite series is nothing but a representation of an intellectual or ideal infinity. The originally infinite series (the ideal of all infinite series) is that in which our intellectual infinity evolves: time. The activity that sustains this series is the same as that which sustains our consciousness; but consciousness is continuous. Time, therefore, as an evolution of that activity, cannot be created by composition. Since now all other infinite series are only imitations of the originally infinite series, time, no infinite series can be anything other than continuous. The inhibiting factor in the original evolution (without which it would have to happen with infinite velocity) is nothing other than original reflection; the necessity of reflection upon our acting in every moment (the constant duality within identity) is the secret artifice by which our existence obtains duration. Absolute continuity therefore exists only for intuition, not for reflection. Intuition and reflection are opposed to one another. The infinite series is continuous for productive intuition, [but] interrupted and composed for reflection. On this contradiction between intuition and reflection rest those sophisms with which the possibility of all motion is denied, and which...