Time: A Philosophical IntroductionTime: A Philosophical Introduction presents the philosophy of time as the central debate between being and the becoming.This core theme brings together the key topics, debates and thinkers, making ideas such as Zeno's paradoxes, the experience of change and temporal flow and the direction and shape of time and time travel, clear and understandable. Alongside a glossary and detailed timeline to further enhance study and understanding, each chapter features: Extensive lists of further reading in both primary and secondary sources A chronological listing of key figures, brief biographical data and references True/false questions, matching, multiple choice, and short answer questions Time is a central philosophical subject, impacting on all many different aspects of philosophy. More technical discussions of issues from mathematics, logic and physics are separated into Technical Interludes,allowing readers to choose their level of difficultly. As a result this comprehensive introduction is essential reading for upper-level undergraduates studying the philosophy of time,metaphysics or the philosophy of science. |
Contents
Zenos Paradoxes and the Nature of Change | |
McTaggarts Paradox and the Unreality of Time | |
The Ontology of the Future | |
Flow Change and the Phenomenology of Time | |
Time as a Physical Quantity | |
The Direction of Time | |
8The Shape of Time | |
Time Travel | |
Conclusions and Open Questions | |
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Common terms and phrases
absolute actually Adeterminations Aristotle Aristotle’s arrow Aseries Atheorists attempt Barack Obama basic becoming beginning big bang block universe C. D. Broad causality violations Chapter claim classical clock conception consider contemporary cosmology debate depends direction discussed distinction Einstein’s theory Eleatic energy condition entropy eternalist example existence experience explain fact frame of reference fundamental future Heraclitean here–here Husserl idealism infinite number interval later lightcone logical manifest image mathematical McTaggart McTaggart’s paradox merely metaphysical Minkowski spacetime modern physics motion moving natural numbers Newton’s objects one’s ontological ordinary Parmenides particular past philosophical physical cosmology Plato possible presentist principle problem properties rational numbers real numbers reality relativity of simultaneity require seabattle seems sense sentence sequence simply space spacelike spacetime spatial special relativity specious present speed of light structure temporal tensed tenseless theory of relativity there’s thermodynamic things twin paradox velocity Zeno Zeno’s paradoxes