Open AccessXVI—Relativity, the Open Future, and the Passage of Time
Author(s) -
Pooley Oliver
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
proceedings of the aristotelian society (hardback)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.97
H-Index - 40
eISSN - 1467-9264
pISSN - 0066-7374
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9264.2013.00357.x
Subject(s) - theory of relativity , theoretical physics , interpretation (philosophy) , spacetime , special relativity , einstein , epistemology , position (finance) , physics , computer science , philosophy , classical mechanics , economics , quantum mechanics , finance , programming language
Is the objective passage of time compatible with relativistic physics? There are two easy routes to an affirmative answer: (1) provide a deflationary analysis of passage compatible with the block universe, or (2) argue that a privileged global present is compatible with relativity. (1) does not take passage seriously. (2) does not take relativity seriously. This paper is concerned with the viability of views that seek to take both passage and relativity seriously. The investigation proceeds by considering how traditional A ‐theoretic conceptions of passage might be generalized to relativistic space‐times without incorporating a privileged global present. I argue that the most promising position marries the idea that open possibilities for the future are settled as time passes with a ‘non‐standard’ interpretation of the relevant formal models.