ABSTRACT
The study of human development requires that we consider the question of the meaning of time. The history of the idea of time is referenced in order to show that two conceptions of time have prevailed in Western thought: time as a continuous or series of events; and time as a property of events or time as independent of events.
Most recently, quantum mechanics, geology, and evaluation all have come to question the role of gradualism and to substitute for it the concept of catastrophe. These concerns are shown to impact on our theories of human development and our ability to explain current status through the study of history.
