Vacillating time: a metaphysics for time travel and Geachianism

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Abstract

‘Past vacillators’ believe that what was once the case may change over time. This has obvious applications to the possibility of changing the past via time travel. ‘Future vacillators’ believe that some things will happen and yet, later, will not. Further to issues in time travel, future vacillation has applications when it comes to ‘Geachian’ views about the open future. This paper argues that if you deny that the ‘earlier than’ and ‘later than’ relations are converses of one another then you can develop metaphysical systems underpinning the possibility of such vacillation.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)7159-7180
JournalSynthese
Volume199
Issue number3-4
Early online date16 May 2021
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 16 May 2021

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s).

Keywords

  • Counterfactuals
  • Ersatz presentism
  • Geachianism
  • Open future
  • Tensed time
  • Tenseless time
  • Time
  • Time travel

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Philosophy
  • Social Sciences(all)

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