Index

• A-series 9, 10–13, 14, 16, 17, 20, 23, 27, 28, 38–40, 115
• A-theory 10, 12, 130
  • being present, being past, being future 10, 38–9
• absence 152, 169, 215
• absolute elsewhere 100, 101
• ABSTRACTISM 28–9, 31
• actual world 6, 36
• anisotropy 122, 124, 144, 145
  • extrinsic/intrinsic distinction 122–3
• Annie 171–4, 178, 183–5, 190
• antropy 125
• arbitrariness problem 102–4
• argument from improbability 217–19
• argument from simultaneity 93
• argument from temporal phenomenology ([P1], [P2], [C]) 55–6
  • alleged explanatory indispensability 56–7
  • inference from 56
  • rejecting [P1] 57–65
  • rejecting [P2] 65–71
  • as sound 56
• as if state 54–5, 60
• as of state 55
• Asimov, Isaac 192
• asymmetric laws 131–3
• asymmetry 11, 121, 144
  • of causation 126, 128
  • of deliberation 126, 127–8
• at-at theory 19
• B-relations
  • asymmetry 11
  • directed 11
  • earlier-than, later-than, simultaneous-with 11, 38
  • unchanging 11
• B-series 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 20, 27, 28, 38, 88, 115, 116
• B-theory 11, 130, 207
• backwards in time 161–3, 227
• backwards travel 196–9, 226
• base asymmetry 138, 146
• belief states 62–3
• block theory 206
  • modal or temporal understanding of difference 80
  • and past, present, future 17–18
• block universe 16–19
  • minimal (C-theory + ENTITY EVERYWHENISM) 16–17
  • standard (B-theory + ENTITY EVERYWHENISM) 16
• boundary conditions 139, 141
• C-relations
  • greater-than/lesser-than 11
  • non-temporal 11
  • undirected asymmetric ordering 11
• C-series 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 20, 27, 28, 116–17, 169
• C-theory 11, 115–16
• causal interaction 151
• causal process 151
• causally connected events 89
• causally efficacious 206
• causation 117–18, 125–6, 126, 128, 142–3, 145, 148–9
  • see also counterfactual theories of causation; process theories of causation
• causation by omission 151–3, 168
  • divide and conquer 153
  • metaphorical identification 154–5
  • reify absence 154
  • responsibility 153
• causation and time 161
  • causation in a timeless world 165–7
  • as directed 167–8
  • reducibility of time 163–5
  • retro causation 161–3
• change
  • at-at theory 19
  • real change 19
• changing the past 205–6, 226
  • growing block version 214–15
  • hypertime and 207–12
  • influencing versus 206–7
  • moving the present to 213–16
  • Past as a Sheet 210
  • Past as a Trajectory 211
  • presentist version 214, 215
  • Two-Dimensional 208
• closed causal loop 225–6, 227
• closed time-like curves 199
• co-presentness 94, 104–5
• cognitive error theory 57–8, 69, 83
  • false beliefs 58, 62
  • inferentialist strategy 62–3
  • misdescriptionist strategy 58–61
• CONCRETISM 28, 29–31
• conserved quantity 150–1, 169
• constitutive theories 6–7, 35
• coordinate systems 109
• cosmological asymmetries 125
• counterfactual 79, 169–70, 220–1, 227
• counterfactual conditional 220
• counterfactual dependence 156–8, 168, 170
• counterfactual theories of causation 155–8, 162, 164–5, 168
  • pre-emption 160–1
  • semantics 158–9
  • see also causation; process theories of causation
• deliberation 126, 127–8, 143–4, 145
  • about the past 222–4
• difference making thesis 73–4
  • argument from metaphysics 78–82
  • argument from physics 74–8
  • counterfactual 79
  • modal or temporal 79–80
• diminishing the present 110
• directional eliminativism 133–4, 139
• directionality 124, 129–30, 144, 145
  • asymmetry and the laws 131–3
  • eliminativism 133–4
  • primitivism and reductionism 130–1
• disorder 125
• distrusting the present hypothesis 61
• Doppelganger argument 77–8
• dualism 65–6, 76, 84, 175
• dualist relationalism 175
• dualistic substantivalism 175, 176
• dynamic theories 5, 8, 20, 33, 38
  • A-series taken seriously 12
  • case for/against 13
  • connection with relativity of simultaneity 90–3
  • empirical refutation of 87
  • growing block 22
  • McTaggart’s paradox 44–8
  • moving spotlight 22–4
  • ontological attitudes towards past, present, future entities 20
  • presentism 20–1
  • selecting 24–7
  • and temporal passage 38–52
• dynamic time 216
  • and simultaneity 94–104
• Einstein’s theories 111–12, 150, 196, 199
• endurantism 171, 173–4, 178–9, 179, 186, 189
  • temporary intrinsics and 184–5
• ENTITY EVERYWHENISM 15–16, 30
• ENTITY NOW AND THENISM 14, 15, 16, 30
• ENTITY NOWISM 14, 15, 16, 30
• entropy 125, 127, 138–42, 145, 146
  • high/low macrostate 140
  • increase towards the future/decrease towards the past 140–1
  • low initial/final condition 141
• ethics 230–1
• Euclidean geometry 96–9
  • null and positive 99–100
  • purely spatial 96–7
  • temporal parameter added 97–9
• existence of times 31–2
  • all times exist but only present and past times are concretely realised 32
  • all times exist but only present time is realised 32
  • assumption that time exists 34
  • no such thing as time 34–5
  • past and present only but only present time is concretely realised 32
• experience of time 4–5, 109
• explanation 225–6
• extended simple 180, 190
• extensional theories 6, 7
• external time 193, 197–8, 226, 228
  • disparity with personal time 194
  • distinction with personal time 195
• extrinsic 123, 145, 146
• false belief see cognitive error
• final condition 141
• flow of time 5, 134–6, 164
• fork symmetry 126, 128–9
• forward travel 196–9, 226, 228
• four-dimensionalism 171, 172, 178, 181, 206
• fragmentalist perspective 108
• frame of reference 87, 89, 95, 109–10, 119
• free will 219–21, 227
• general theory of relativity 75, 116, 118, 176, 196, 197, 198–9
  • move from special to general 112–13
• god’s eye perspective 108, 172
• grandfather paradox argument 201–3, 220, 226
• grounding thesis 138, 146
• growing block theory (A-theory + ENTITY NOW AND THENISM) 22, 23, 227
  • arguments surrounding 25
  • changing the past 214–15
  • temporal passage 40–1
• hallucination 54–5, 57, 67–8
• Hořava-Lifshitz gravity 115
• hypertime 49–51, 50, 52, 207–12, 214–16, 216, 226
• identification thesis 138
• identity 186–7
• if/then statement 158–9
• improbability 217–19
• incompatible properties 183
• indiscernibility of identicals 182, 190
• inertial frame of reference 94, 102, 119
• inference to the best explanation 56
• inferentialist strategy 58, 62–3
• infinite regress 46–7
• initial condition 141
• intrinsic 123–4, 145, 146
• knowledge asymmetry 143, 145
• language
  • metaphorical 60
  • passage-friendly 59–60
  • writing affects conceptualisation 59
• laws of nature 131–3, 137, 162
• laws of physics 131–2, 145
• Lewis, D. 193–6, 197, 198, 202
• light-like separation 99, 100
• location relations 174–5, 176–7, 189
• logical possibility 201–3, 228
  • changing the past 206–12
  • second time around fallacy 204–6
• logically impossible 199–200
• Lorentz’s Aether Theory 111–12, 119
• M-region 178–81
• macrostate 139–40, 146
• McTaggart, J.M.E. 9, 10, 11, 13–14, 20, 38, 41
• McTaggart’s paradox 44–8, 52
• makes no difference argument 73, 83
• mark transference 150
• mechanistic theory of causation 149–50
• mereological simple 180, 190
• metaphysical privilege 106–7
• metaphysically possible 6, 200, 228
  • time travel as 212–16
• metaphysically special 10, 26, 39–40, 86
• metaphysics 10, 78–82
• metric 95
• microstate 139–40, 146
• mind-independent 8, 20, 24, 36, 38
• Minkowski spacetime 95–6, 98–104, 109, 119
  • Luminal Structure 100–1, 100
• mirror world 76–7, 77, 132, 135
• misdescriptionist strategy 58–61
• monistic substantivalism 176, 189
• moral reasoning 34
• moving spotlight theory (ENTITY EVERYWHENISM) 22–4, 24
  • arguments surrounding 25
  • being metaphysically special 86
  • modal or temporal understanding of difference 80
  • temporal passage 40
• Müller-Lyre illusion 66–7, 66
• multiplying the present 108–10
• necessary condition 6, 36
• Newton, Isaac 149, 150
• no content theory 64–5, 83
• no destination argument 213, 226
• no origin argument 227
• nomologically possible 200, 220, 228
• non-qualitative properties 80–1, 84
• non-vicious regress 46
• numerical identity 172–3, 186, 190
• objects 175, 176
  • existence of 14–16
  • persisting 177–81
• observational problem 117–18
  • causal approach 117
  • non-causal approach 117–18
• Ockham’s Razor 164, 170
• ontological change 41, 42, 44, 49
• open causal loop 225–6
• ‘The Paradoxes of Time Travel’ (Lewis) 193–6, 197
• partially present 171
• passage theory 72, 83
• past hypothesis (PH) 141
• perceptual state
  • alternative hypotheses 61
  • inferentialist 62–3
• perdurantism 171–3, 174, 179, 180, 189
  • identity and 186–7
  • temporary intrinsics 183–4
• persistence 171, 197, 226
  • endurance 171, 173–4
  • evaluating the accounts 181–7
  • path through spacetime 178
  • perdurance 171–3, 174
  • and temporal ontology 188
  • three accounts 177–81
  • transdurance 180–1
• personal time 193–4, 197–8, 226, 228
  • disparity with external time 194–5
  • distinction with external time 195
• perspective 87–8, 97, 106, 109, 120
  • difference between metaphysical and physical privilege 107–8
  • fragmentalist/unificationist distinction 108
• phenomenal character 54, 84
• phenomenal content 54–5, 84
• phenomenal illusion 65, 83
  • dual thesis 65–6
  • motion-change 68–9
  • Müller-Lyre illusion 66–7
  • representational content 67–8
  • temporally embedded perspective 70–1
• phenomenal states 54–5, 60–1, 84
• physical DM argument 74–6
  • dualist resistance 76
  • nomologically possible 76–8
• physical possibility 6
• physical privilege 106–7
  • difference with metaphysical privilege 107–8
• physicalism 76–8, 84
• physics 2, 106, 164
  • hostile to temporal passage 75–8
• physics of time 231
• possible world 6, 28–9, 36, 199
• practical reasoning 34
• pre-emption 160–1, 169, 170
• present
  • definitions 102
  • diminishing 110
  • moving to change the past 213–16
  • multiplying 108–10
  • pre-relativistic/relativistic accounts 104
  • two events as co-present 94, 104–5
• presentism (A-theory + ENTITY NOWISM) 20–1, 21, 39
  • arguments in favour 25–7
  • being metaphysically special 86
  • as causally inefficacious 82
  • changing the past 214, 215
  • ersatz 33–4
  • and McTaggart’s paradox 47–8
  • as non-qualitative property 80–1
  • paired with endurantism, perdurantism or transdurantism 181
  • point-everywhere spectrum 102
  • [PS2] link with simultaneity 90
  • as qualitative property 81, 81–2
  • standard 33
  • temporal passage 40, 79–80
  • time travel and 212–13
  • travel back 206–7
  • truthmaker objection 26–7
• primitive direction 136–7
• primitivism 130–1, 146
• Principia Mathematica (Newton) 149
• privileged present 86–7, 90–1, 93, 94
  • difference between metaphysical and physical privilege 107–8
  • diminishing the present 110
  • multiplying the present 108–10
• process theories of causation 149, 162, 168
  • causation by omission 151–5
  • early mechanism 149–50
  • recent 150–1
  • see also causation; counterfactual theories of causation
• psychological phenomena 126
• psychology of time 231
• qualitative properties 80–1, 84
• quantum gravity 113–15, 116, 118, 119, 120, 164
• quantum mechanics 75, 113–14, 116
• rate of flow argument 42–4, 52
  • and change 44
  • as meaningful 42
  • as variation over space 43–4
• REALISATION EVERYWHENISM 32
• REALISATION NOW AND THENISM 32
• reductionism 130, 131, 137–8, 145, 146
  • causation 142–3, 163–5
  • deliberation 143–4
  • entropy 138–42
  • grounding thesis 138
  • identification thesis 138
• reductive base 137–8, 146
• relationalism 175, 176, 189
• relativistic mechanics 86, 116
• relativity of simultaneity 87–8, 118
  • argument from simultaneity 93
  • connection with dynamical theories 90–3
  • deny relativity of simultaneity 93, 108–10, 118
  • give up on one privileged present 93, 104–8, 118
  • is/is not revisionary 88–90
  • radical implications 88
  • redefine the present 93, 94–104, 118
  • sub-argument B 93
  • three events at different times 91–3, 91
  • two observers in relative motion 92
• retro causation 161–3, 169, 170, 198–9
• reverse forks 129
• river/road analogy 5
• second law of thermodynamics 125, 126, 127, 138–9, 141
• second time around fallacy 204–6, 226
• sense of time 4–5
• sheets of time 94–5
  • universe as sequence of times 94, 95
• similarity ordering 159
• simultaneity 87, 120
  • see also relativity of simultaneity
• simultaneity class 90–1
• space 18–19, 94
  • Euclidean geometry for 96–9
  • positive values 99
• space-like separation 99, 100
• spacetime 94–5, 99, 110, 113, 115, 162, 163, 175, 176, 178, 192, 199
  • see also Minkowski spacetime
• spacetime points 95, 102–4, 103, 120
  • Euclidean 99–100
  • Minkowskian 100–1
  • positive, negative, null 99
• spatial configuration 166, 170
• spatiotemporal distances 99, 101–2, 151, 175
• spatiotemporal relations 175
• special theory of relativity 87, 106–7, 118, 196, 197
  • Lorentz’s theory as alternative 111–12
  • move to general relativity 112–13
• speed of light 87, 89, 91, 99, 100–1, 120
• static theory 5, 8, 33, 35, 51
  • all events ’already out there’ 17
  • analogy between space and time 18
  • B-series exists/A-series does not exist 12, 36
  • C-series exists/A-series & B-series do not exist 13, 36
  • case for 13
  • and change 19
• statistical mechanics 140, 141, 145
• sub-argument B 93, 108–10
• substantivalism 175–6, 189
  • and location relations 176–7
• sufficient condition 6–7, 37
• supersubstantivalism 175–6
• temporal anisotropy 122, 123, 146
• temporal asymmetric phenomena 125–9, 144–5
• temporal asymmetry 122, 123–4, 146
• temporal attributions 45–6
• temporal consciousness 230
• temporal directionality 122, 124, 146
  • explanation 129–30
• temporal distance 15, 95, 98, 133, 193, 196, 197
• temporal dynamism 214
• temporal flow 126, 164
• temporal ontology 188
• temporal ordering 37, 89–90, 197
  • A-series 10–11, 12, 38
  • B-series 12, 38
  • C-series 12, 13
  • concept 9
  • invariant 89–90
  • as temporal/not temporal 9–10
• temporal parts 172, 187
• temporal passage 8–9, 38, 86
  • accretive 40–1
  • arguments from metaphysics 78–82
  • arguments from physics 73, 74–8
  • concept 9, 38–40
  • experience of 26
  • and explanation 72–82
  • flavours of passage 40–1
  • general conception of passage 39–40
  • McTaggart’s paradox 41, 44–8
  • moving spotlight theory 23–4
  • ordering 9–13
  • problems for passage 41–8
  • rate of flow argument 41, 42–4
  • unified solution to problems 49–51
• temporal phenomenology 54–5
  • arguments from 55–7
  • comments concerning 71
  • incompatible properties 182, 183
  • passage theory 72
  • rejecting [P1] 57–65
  • rejecting [P2] 65–71
  • temporal passage and explanation 72–82
  • as veridical or hallucinatory 57–8
• temporary intrinsics 189, 190
  • change 182
  • endurance and 184–5
  • perdurance and 183–4
  • problem 182–3
  • transdurance and 185–6
• three-dimensionalism 171, 172, 173, 177–8, 181, 187
• time
  • asymmetric phenomena 3
  • and causation 3, 18–19
  • concept 28
  • in constant flux 10
  • flow 2
  • as intangible 1–2
  • living in time 1
  • negative value 99
  • persistence of objects in 3
  • philosophical narrative 2
  • physics of 3
  • pre-theoretic view 88–9
  • questions concerning 1–2
  • reducible to causation 163–5
  • theory 2
  • travel 3
• time and space difference 230
• time travel 161–2, 192, 216, 226
  • in a Block Universe 207
  • definitions 192–200
  • deliberating about the past 222–4
  • explanation and 225–6
  • external time 193, 194–6
  • forward vs backward 196–9
  • free will 219–21
  • improbable 217–19
  • into the future 213
  • logical possible 199–200, 201–12
  • metaphysically possible 212–16
  • necessary conditions 194–6
  • Past as a Sheet 210
  • Past as a Trajectory 211
  • personal time 193–6
  • possibility of 199–200
  • presentism and 212–13
  • sufficient condition 196
  • two-dimensional story 208
• time-dilation 196
• time-like separation 99, 100
• time-reversal invariance 131, 131–3, 146
• timeless world 165–7
• timelessness 115–18, 231
• train experiment 88, 89
• transdurantism 180–1, 181, 189
• temporary intrinsics and 185–6
• truth conditions 159
• truthmaking 26–7
• two-dimensional time 208–11
• unificationist perspective 108
• universe as sequence of times 94, 95
• variance 101–2
• vicious regress 46, 47, 51
• wholly present 171
• winning perceptual hypothesis 61
• world line 151, 152, 170