Access Type
Open Access Dissertation
Date of Award
January 2017
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Department
Philosophy
First Advisor
Lawrence B. Lombard
Abstract
Presentism is the view that, with the possible exception of things outside of time, everything that exists, exists at the present time. It is contrasted with eternalism, the view that everything which ever did exist or ever will exist, exists. Some philosophers argue that presentism and eternalism are not really substantive, opposed metaphysical theses. I consider some attempts in the literature to rebut this skeptical position, and argue that they are unsatisfactory. Then I make my own case for the conclusion that presentism and eternalism are substantive metaphysical theses by drawing a distinction between two ways of talking about what exists with respect to a time, and imagining a hypothetical analogous debate about the nature of space.
Recommended Citation
Figg, Travis Matthew, "How To Understand The Debate Over Presentism And Eternalism" (2017). Wayne State University Dissertations. 1802.
https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/oa_dissertations/1802