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.

Full Product Details

Author:   Bradford Skow (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
Publisher:   Oxford University Press
Imprint:   Oxford University Press
Dimensions:   Width: 15.70cm , Height: 1.50cm , Length: 23.30cm
Weight:   0.404kg
ISBN:  

9780198776697

ISBN 10:   0198776691
Pages:   272
Publication Date:   10 November 2016
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   To order  
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Table of Contents

1: Introduction: Time Passes? 2: The Block Universe 3: What Might Robust Passage Be? 4: The Moving Spotlight 5: Growing Blocks and Branching Times 6: The Moving Spotlight Theory is Consistent 7: How Fast Does Time Pass? 8: The Challenge from Relativity 9: Relativity and the Passage of Time 10: Can We Move Through Time? 11: Passage and Experience, I 12: Passage and Experience, II 13: Concluding Thoughts: Passage and Time-Biased Preferences Reference Index

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. M. Joshua Mozersky, Metascience

Objective Becoming provides an original and interesting contribution to the metaphysics of timeone that will certainly spark further fruitful discussions. * Emily Paul, British Journal for the Philosophy of Science * 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. * M. Joshua Mozersky, Metascience *

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. M. Joshua Mozersky, Metascience Objective Becoming provides an original and interesting contribution to the metaphysics of timeone that will certainly spark further fruitful discussions. Emily Paul, British Journal for the Philosophy of Science

`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.' M. Joshua Mozersky, Metascience `Objective Becoming provides an original and interesting contribution to the metaphysics of timeone that will certainly spark further fruitful discussions.' Emily Paul, British Journal for the Philosophy of Science

Author Information

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

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