[PhilPhys] Phil Physics seminar this week, Oxford

[Chris Timpson]

(Apologies for cross-postings)

 

Dear All,

 

This week's philosophy of physics seminar (Thursday 16:30, Lecture Room, 10
Merton St) will turn to the topic of time:

 

Dr Jonathan Tallant  (Philosophy, Nottingham)

 

"Existence Presentism"

 

Abstract:

Grant the presentist that everything exists now: what is it about the world
that makes a moment 'now'?  It turns out that this is a difficult question
to answer and a number of concerns arise in discussion of the various
options. To deal with these concerns, I'll put forward and defend  a new
version of presentism: Existence Presentism. 

Existence presentism, I argue, turns out to have particular modal
consequences. Namely, that it is necessarily true if true at all. Although
the conclusion isn't novel, it is (I think) a conclusion for which we don't
typically see an argument. However, the modal result itself then turns out
to be problematic since we have the appearance of the genuine possibility of
eternalism. To square the circle I spend the latter portions  of the paper
arguing that eternalism has the mere appearance of possibility.

The result is this: we have a new variety of presentism on our hands, one
that is able to solve certain problems that afflict traditional strains of
presentism. We can also explain away the seeming possibility of eternalism.
This, it seems to me, is to put presentism on a stronger (if not yet strong)
footing.

 

Hope to see you there,

Best wishes,

Chris Timpson

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