Chapter 10

The connection between transient and immanent acts

1224. There are many other difficulties which present themselves to the mind of the speculative thinker when he attempts to explain the concept of transient act, or even to form its concept accurately. We will encounter these difficulties later, however, and do our best to overcome them. Bringing them forward now, one by one, would retard our argument as it presses on to its goal.
Here we have to consider the connection between transient act, according to the concept we have recently outlined, and immanent act. For me, this concept is found in passage, that is, in change made in an instant.

1225. Keeping this concept in mind together with the teaching on instant and duration, we have a definition of transient act which points clearly to its essential relationship with immanent act. Our definition of transient act is this: 'A transient act is always the beginning or end of an immanent act;' in other words, 'A transient act is simply the beginning or end of an enduring act.'