Objective Becoming

Häftad, Engelska, 2016

AvBradford Skow

639 kr

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Bradford Skow presents an original defense of the 'block universe' theory of time, often said to be a theory according to which time does not pass. Along the way, he provides in-depth discussions of alternative theories of time, including those in which there is 'robust passage' of time or 'objective becoming': presentism, the moving spotlight theory of time, the growing block theory of time, and the 'branching time' theory of time. Skow explains why the moving spotlight theory is the best of these arguments, and rebuts several popular arguments against the thesis that time passes. He surveys the problems that the special theory of relativity has been thought to raise for objective becoming, and suggests ways in which fans of objective becoming may reconcile their view with relativistic physics. The last third of the book aims to clarify and evaluate the argument that we should believe that time passes because, somehow, the passage of time is given to us in experience. He isolates three separate arguments this idea suggests, and explains why they fail.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum2016-11-10
Mått157 x 233 x 14 mm
Vikt404 g
FormatHäftad
SpråkEngelska
Antal sidor272
FörlagOUP OXFORD
ISBN9780198776697

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1: Introduction: Time Passes? 2: The Block Universe 3: What Might Robust Passage Be? 4: The Moving Spotlight 5: Growing Blocks and Branching Times 6: The Moving Spotlight Theory is Consistent 7: How Fast Does Time Pass? 8: The Challenge from Relativity 9: Relativity and the Passage of Time 10: Can We Move Through Time? 11: Passage and Experience, I 12: Passage and Experience, II 13: Concluding Thoughts: Passage and Time-Biased Preferences Reference Index

Overall, this is a terrific book. It is thorough, argumentative, philosophically sophisticated, scientifically informed, rigorous, and creative. Skow has done more than anyone to elucidate and critique the moving spotlight view, and in the end I think he comes to the right conclusions. Anybody who pays this book serious attention will be rewarded with deep insight into most of the major issues in the philosophy of time. Perhaps most impressively, Skow manages to provide his reader with a good introduction to the issues at hand while developing advanced arguments that push the state of the debate forward in interesting and fruitful directions. This is an impressive work that deserves to be widely read.