On succession and duration

John Locke

pp. 211-224

in: Milič Čapek (ed), The concepts of space and time, Berlin, Springer, 1976

Abstract

There is another sort of distance, or length, the idea whereof we get, not from the permanent parts of space, but from the fleeting and perpetually perishing parts of succession. This we call duration, the simple modes whereof are any different lengths of it, whereof we have distinct ideas, as hours, days, years, &c., time and eternity.