modal, predicate-logic approaches to temporal logic
token-reflexive
indexical
absolute view of time
relational view of time
anisotropy
essay questions
Big Question:
Defend or criticize the idea that time passes. Make use of at least three of
the following interconnected sets of ideas:
the linguistic analysis of tense and of terms like 'now', 'past',
'present', 'future'. Can the truth conditions of every tensed sentence be
expressed tenselessly (as Quine suggests)? Can 'now' be understood as an
indexical (Kaplan) or token-reflexive (Mellor; briefly discussed by Kaplan)?
Or do tensed sentences express facts which cannot be expressed any other way
(Dummett, Craig)?
is there a deep incoherence in the A-series? That is, if we treat past,
present, and future as objective properties of events, must we contradict
ourselves? (McTaggart of course argues that we do, and key elements of his
argument are supported by Dummett, Horwich, and Mellor.) If we abandon the
A-series, must we abandon the B-series as well?
if time passes, must there be a rate at which it passes? And if so, is
there any way to give a coherent account of the rate at which it
passes (the "speed of life," in Jeremy's nice term)? (Markosian)
Is there any reason to prefer the modal approach to temporal logic over
the predicate-logic approach, or vice versa? If so, does this show that the
view of the "tensers" is superior to that of the "detensers,"
or vice versa? (Galton)
relativity theory appears to imply that there is no such thing as absolute
simultaneity. What does this mean, and does it give a reason to favor one or
another view about the passage of time?
Is the future real (Rucker) or unreal (e.g. Augustine)? Does your position
on this issue have implications for whether time passes?
Is time travel a coherent possibility if time does not pass? If it does?
Could the same conception of time travel work on both views about passage,
or would each view about passage require a different conception of time
travel than the other? (Make use of Lewis)
Littler Questions:
Explain the issues involved in the debate between absolute and relational
views of time (and space). Explain and defend or criticize at least one
argument that one of these views is superior to the other. (Newton vs.
Leibniz, with helpful discussion in Sklar)
McTaggart and Augustine both argue that time is "unreal".
Compare their views and their principal arguments for them.
Could there be time in the absence of change? Make use of Aristotle's
discussion in formulating and defending an answer.