Week 4: The Theory of Relativity and its Philosophical Interpretations

Dear all, this coming Friday we shall finish off the introduction to the theory of relativity and discuss some of its interpretations, as well as some of its implications for the philosophy of time. The reading for this week is a paper by Balashov criticising an attempt (by William Craig) to defend presentism within a relativistic framework.

Essential Reading

Balshov - Presentism and Relativity

Further Readings

Hinchliff - A defence of Presentism in a Relativistic Setting

Mellor - Special Relativity and Present Truth

Craig - The Tenseless Theory of Time

Week 3: The Special Theory of Relativity and its Philosophical Implications

Dear all, next Friday we are going to introduce Einstein´s Theory of Special Relativity. It is the worst nightmare for those who think that time passes. As an introductory chapter I chose Dainton´s Time and Space (pp 313-327). I also recommend the first chapters of Russell´s ABC of Relativity (up to p. 69). 

Those of you who would like to get a slightly more formal grasp of it can read the (relatively easy) Fynman´s Lectures (chapters 15-17) or the (wonderful but mathematically impervious) Fridman´s Foundations of Spacetime Theories. 

See you all there. Abs.

Essential Readings

Dainton - Time and Space (313-327)

Russell - The ABC of Relativity (1-69)


Further Readings 

Feynman - Lectures in Physics

Friedman - Foundations of Spacetime Theories

Week 2: Understanding McTaggart´s Inconsistency Argument

Dear all, next week we will discuss in more details McTaggart´s argument for the inconsistency of the A-theory. As I said, it is easy to misconstrue the argument. To avoid this, I chose a recent version of it by Kit Fine, which does not involve second order A-properties or infinite regresses. It seems to me that this version captures something essential about the argument. You will find it in Chapter 8 of the linked book Modality and Tense. The chapter is rather long, if you are in a hurry or feel too lazy for it, the argument is presented in pages 270-284.

The other essential reading is a defence of the standard version of the argument, by LePoidevin and Mellor (a hero of the B-theory).

Essential Readings

Fine - Modality and Tense

Lepoidevin and Mellor - Time, Change and the ´Indexical Fallacy´


Further Readings

Dummett - A Defence of McTaggart Proof

Oaklander - McTaggart´s Paradox and Smith´s Tensed Theory of Time

Lowe - McTaggart´s Paradox Revisited