Objective Becoming

by Bradford Skow

Overview

Bradford Skow presents an original defense of the 'block universe' theory of time, often said to be a theory according to which time does not pass. Along the way, he provides in-depth discussions of alternative theories of time, including those in which there is 'robust passage' of time or 'objective becoming': presentism, the moving spotlight theory of time, the growing block theory of time, and the 'branching time' theory of time. Skow explains why the moving spotlight theory is the best of these arguments, and rebuts several popular arguments against the thesis that time passes. He surveys the problems that the special theory of relativity has been thought to raise for objective becoming, and suggests ways in which fans of objective becoming may reconcile their view with relativistic physics. The last third of the book aims to clarify and evaluate the argument that we should believe that time passes because, somehow, the passage of time is given to us in experience. He isolates three separate arguments this idea suggests, and explains why they fail.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780198776697
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	01/10/2017
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Bradford Skow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Bradford Skow graduated from Oberlin College and earned his PhD from New York University.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: Time Passes? 2. The Block Universe3. What Might Robust Passage Be? 4. The Moving Spotlight5. Growing Blocks and Branching Times6. The Moving Spotlight Theory is Consistent7. How Fast Does Time Pass? 8. The Challenge from Relativity9. Relativity and the Passage of Time10. Can We Move Through Time? 11. Passage and Experience, I12. Passage and Experience, II13. Concluding Thoughts: Passage and Time-Biased PreferencesReferenceIndex

Editorial Reviews

"Overall, this is a terrific book. It is thorough, argumentative, philosophically sophisticated, scientifically informed, rigorous, and creative. Skow has done more than anyone to elucidate and critique the moving spotlight view, and in the end I think he comes to the right conclusions. Anybody who pays this book serious attention will be rewarded with deep insight into most of the major issues in the philosophy of time. Perhaps most impressively, Skow manages to provide his reader with a good introduction to the issues at hand while developing advanced arguments that push the state of the debate forward in interesting and fruitful directions. This is an impressive work that deserves to be widely read." — Metascience

From the Publisher