Oct 07, 2017 presentism holds that only the present exists, while eternalism holds that all times exist. Presentism, eternalism, and the triviality problem 47 the eternalists thesis usually has one of the following two forms. Presentism, at its worst, encourages a kind of moral complacency and selfcongratulation. Eternalism and nihilism the buddha rejected both extremes of eternalism and nihilism. While present events and things may be epistemically. It seems to me that, special and general relativity support eternalism. May 12, 2008 eternalism vs causality in quantum mechanics while the presentism vs eternalism debate is pretty much vacuous, ambiguous, and confusing and relativity adds some new twists that perhaps make the debate even more ambiguous there exist related questions that are slightly more physical. One of the most fascinating concepts in all of science and philosophy is the idea of eternalism. The relativity of simultaneity between eternalism and presentism mario bacelar valente abstract the relativity of simultaneity seems to favour a block universe view according to which the universe is a timelessly existing fourdimensional world, i. How to understand the debate over presentism and eternalism.
Eternalism is the philosophy of time that seems to be required by special relativity. It also denies the existence of the future, which eternalists will resist on the same grounds that they deny presentism. There are also various theories of temporal experience. Presentism, eternalism and then theres primitivism, which is not knowing a damn thing about science but holding forth anyway. Based on what i have considered so far, my belief is that. Presentism can be traced back to mctaggarts famous 1908 paper the unreality of time. Some forms of eternalism give time a similar ontology to that of space, as a dimension, with different times being as real. Presentism and eternalism in perspective philsciarchive. Just look at the andromeda paradox and the fact that there is no preferred frame of reference to choose from. Tables and chairs exist in reality in greek mythology, zeus exists god exists in the mind unicorns exist in other possible worlds realms reality tables, chairs electrons, us greek mythology zeuss titans the mind god santa claus other possible worlds.
How special relativity thwarts eternalism and more. Pdf presentismeternalism and endurantismperdurantism. The argument from special relativity the argument at hand is inspired by and a extended version of the argument from metaphysics. Fourdimensionalism, chapter 2 14 defenders of eternalism. If you had broken up with your boyfriend and were looking to date a new boy, you would seek information about your new suitors with knowledge of what to avoid in them because of your ex. Eternalism vs causality in quantum mechanics while the presentism vs eternalism debate is pretty much vacuous, ambiguous, and confusing and relativity adds some new twists that perhaps make the debate even more ambiguous there exist related questions that are slightly more physical. Savitt department of philosophy, the university of british columbia, vancouver, canada hereythe assertions, which are set in opposition to one another, through mere misunderstanding, can both be true. To develop right view or perfect view, we must first be aware of two views which are considered imperfect or wrong. Endurantism holds that things can persist through time while remaining one and the same entity, while perdurantism holds that they cannot. The opposite view in the philosophy of modality is possibilism, according to which nonactual things exist. In this sense, socrates and tomorrows events exist right now, even if i cannot see them or interact with them. Just look at the andromeda paradox and the fact that there is no preferred frame of. In contrast to presentism, eternalism is the name often given to the ontological stance of the btheory. Eternalism and presentism theories of time the topic of this thread emerged from this thread, a problem with time travel originally posted by maxtm you and i can perform experiments which show that we are not in the same present, that we do not share a now.
Over the last two posts, ive been exploring the nature of time and change. In some versions of presentism, this view is extended to timeless objects or ideas such as numbers. The opposite of presentism is eternalism, which is a belief in things that are past and things. Nihilism rightly recognizes that there is no eternal source of meaning, so there is no ultimate basis or necessity for rejecting anything. Eternalism is a philosophical approach to the ontological nature of time, which takes the view that all existence in time is equally real, as opposed to presentism or the growing block universe theory of time, in which at least the future is not the same as any other time. A brief characterization presentism, eternalism, and growingblockism are theories or models of what the temporal and ontic structure of the world is, or could be. As a consequence of this equivalence, it becomes important to inquire into the question whether the dispute between. Its also more popular than its presentist alternative among philosophers. Next, in 3, i shall try to further clarify the sense in which the eternalist, contrary to the presentist, gives up the open future and, consequently, free will, and then. A clue to the solution of the presentismeternalism debate. Eternalism is the philosophical theory which says that all points in time are equally real. Now, eternalism is mutually incompatible with presentism, so if eternalism is true, then presentism is false, and so is the atheory. Of course this ends up being a problem with uses of sr against presentism since the epistemology vs.
Since i expected a shorter debate i am going to present only two arguments in favor of eternalism and against presentism. The eternalist can simply say that socrates does exist in the tenseless meaning of this word, and dionysius does not, the presentist, however. Eternalism contrasts to presentism and is thought of as its opposite. The paper shows that both of the notions of existence which are used in metaphysical theories of time in presentism and eternalism have a static character and, while such a notion is useful for eternalists, it. Jul 10, 2011 how is the debate between presentism and eternalism to be characterized. Having the knowledge of what you didnt like about your ex would make you think you were more informed about dating now. Pdf even hardcore metaphysicians should admit that certain disputes may indeed turn out not to be substantive. Eternalism definition of eternalism by merriamwebster. And the skeptic can always point to the epistemological issues. Presentism, eternalism, and the growing block 21 philarchive.
Eternalism holds that all times exist, and thus past, present, and future are all real4. I argue that eternalism is preferable to presentism insofar as presentism suffers from inconsistencies that eternalism both avoids and easily solves. Aug 02, 2015 since i expected a shorter debate i am going to present only two arguments in favor of eternalism and against presentism. Since physicists largely cant agree on what time actually is, the ultimate question about whether time travel is possible comes down to the ontological debate about eternalism vs. So recently i have been turning this over in my head. Philosophical presentism is the view that neither the future nor the past exist. Thats why i keep my day job and have a fondness for scotch. Aug 24, 2012 so recently i have been turning this over in my head. Jan 18, 2016 eternalism is the statement that things from the past like socrates and dinosaurs exist right now, as do things from the future. If einsteins 1905 constantspeedoflight postulate is true, then we have a universe with no past or future, where time is an illusion and. And chucking in an unexamined view of what real means. Two philosophical theories about time presentism is a theory in philosophy which says that the only events and objects which exist are those that exist in the present. How special relativity thwarts eternalism and more soul.
Interpreting the past in terms of present concerns usually leads us to find ourselves morally superior. To show what presentism actually entails, i think its important to first consider where the view comes from. Eternalism and presentism theories of time physics forums. Savitt draft as of 090604 5 if we turn to reschers sense i and suppose that eternalism is the view that there are such things as merely past and merely future entities, matters become murky. Savitt draft as of 090604 18 resources, may be required for a complete answer to these questions, but it is difficult to. In what follows i pursue the analogy more strictly than is usual and offer a characterization of what is at the core of the dispute between.
After observing that observerdependence is an essential part of the eternalist claim, ill show that special relativity actually implies that there is no fact of the matter about eternalism or the determinate present itself, for that matter, since observers disagree about the eternalist claim. In the contemporary debate in philosophy of time it is typically supposed that there is some thesis that presentists affirm and that. Presentism and eternalism nottingham eprints university of. Eternalism is a philosophical approach to the ontological nature of time, which takes the view that all points in time are equally real, as opposed to the presentist idea that only the present is real. Eternalism rightly recognizes that the world is meaningful to us, and that it must be accepted as it is. The past, the present, and the future are all real. Presentism is the temporal analogue of the modal doctrine of actualism, according to which everything is actual. To understand what is at issue between these three views, one needs to understand what each view intends when it makes claims about what exists. The relativity of simultaneity between eternalism and presentism. The main claim that i want to defend in this paper is that the there are logical equivalences between eternalism and perdurantism on the one hand and presentism and endurantism on the other. To develop right view or perfect view, we must first be aware of two views which are considered imperfect or wrong the first view is eternalism. In the philosophy of time, presentism is the belief that neither the future nor the past exists. Oct 14, 2017 and of course, if presentism is true, the atheory is true, since presentism holds that there is an objective present. Eternalists hold, roughly, that i all times from the bigbang to the heat death of the universe exist equally.
Endurantism requires presentism, and eternalism requires perdurantism. Presentists reject the existence of merely past and future objects and so cannot make use. The main question now is whether presentism or eternalism is true. Presentism eternalism and special relativity philosophy essay.
The downside of the growing block view is that the past and present have all the features of eternalism involving multiple times existing. Eternalism is a philosophical approach to the ontological nature of time, which takes the view that all points in time are equally real, as opposed to the presentist idea that only the present. By logical equivalence i mean that one position is entailed and entails the other. Eternalism philosophy of time project gutenberg self. So, only things which exist now, right now, really exist. Presentism and the notion of existence springerlink. Eternalism definition is the doctrine of the eternalists. Presentism definition of presentism by the free dictionary. But both presentists and eternalists agree that if we read. Presentism, eternalism, and the growing block a companion to. This doctrine or belief is concerned with eternal life or with eternal things. On the existential side of the eternalismpresentism dispute scielo. It is usual to suggest that this debate about time is analogous to the debate between the actualist and the possibilist about modality. How is the debate between presentism and eternalism to be characterized.
C as quantifying over a restricted domain, such as my kitchen, or the year 2011, then it. And of course, if presentism is true, the atheory is true, since presentism holds that there is an objective present. Presentism is the temporal analogue of the modal doctrine of. The atheory of time requires presentism, and vice versa. Sider says, presentism is the doctrine that only the present is real a presentist thinks that everything is present. Eternalism is the statement that things from the past like socrates and dinosaurs exist right now, as do things from the future. The opposite view is sometimes called presentism, there are. Dec 01, 2014 eternalism is a philosophical approach to the ontological nature of time, which takes the view that all points in time are equally real, as opposed to the presentist idea that only the present. Presentism, eternalism, and the growing block a companion. Presentists think this view is as bad as eternalism in that way. However, those philosophers who claim that presentism and eternalism are not substantive. Eternalism philosophy of time eternalism is a philosophical approach to the ontological nature of time, which takes the view that all points in time are equally real, as opposed to the presentist idea that only the present is real.
According to presentism, events and entities that are wholly past or wholly future do not exist at all. How relativity contradicts presentism simon saunders faculty of philosophy, 10 merton st. May 01, 2002 presentism, at its worst, encourages a kind of moral complacency and selfcongratulation. The relativity of simultaneity between eternalism and. The aim of this paper is to make presentism a dynamic view of reality by basing it on a notion of dynamic existence, that is, on a notion of existence which has a dynamic character. Eternalism is the picture of time delivered to us by the special and general theories of relativity. Presentism, eternalism, and the growing block kristie miller 1. Jun 29, 2017 thats why i keep my day job and have a fondness for scotch.