Explanation and nowness: an objection to the A-Theory.

This paper presents an argument against the A-Theory of time. Briefly, I shall contend that the A-Theorist has no explanation for why the present moment in particular has the metaphysical privilege she accords it, and that this puts the theory at a disadvantage. In what follows, I shall begin by pre...

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Publicado en:Philosophical Studies Vol. 172; no. 9; pp. 2513 - 2531
Autor principal: Mollica, Leo
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Springer Nature Sep2015
Materias:
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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        atl: Explanation and nowness: an objection to the A-Theory.
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        au: Mollica, Leo
        affil: Shimer College, 3424 South State Street Chicago 60616 USA
      su:
        Metaphysics
        Philosophy of time
        Explanation
        Spacetime
        Philosophical analysis
      sug:
        subj:
          Metaphysics
          Philosophy of time
          Explanation
          Spacetime
          Philosophical analysis
      keyword:
        A-Theory
        Presentness
        Times
      ab: This paper presents an argument against the A-Theory of time. Briefly, I shall contend that the A-Theorist has no explanation for why the present moment in particular has the metaphysical privilege she accords it, and that this puts the theory at a disadvantage. In what follows, I shall begin by presenting this argument. I will follow that with some potential explanations for why the present moment is privileged and reasons militating against them, in addition to some other possible objections to my argument and my responses to them. The conclusion will be that the A-Theorist fails to provide either an obvious or a theoretical explanation of the present time's privileged status and is thereby at a theoretical disadvantage to theories that do not posit a metaphysically privileged present time. Topics covered include the purported analogy between times and worlds, the possibility that times are individuated by what is true at them, and the semantic status of titles for date-times.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
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    language: English
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