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The Asymmetric Nature of TimeHow Is the Asymmetry Between the Open Future and the Fixed Past to Be Characterized?

The Asymmetric Nature of Time: How Is the Asymmetry Between the Open Future and the Fixed Past to... [A basic intuition we have regarding the nature of time is that the future is open whereas the past is fixed. However, although this intuition is largely shared, it is not a straightforward matter to determine the nature of the asymmetry it reflects. So, in this chapter, I survey the various philosophical ways of characterizing the asymmetry in openness between the future and the past in order to account for our intuition. In particular, I wonder whether the asymmetry is to be characterized in semantic, epistemic, anthropocentric, physical, modal, metaphysical or ontological terms. I conclude that an ontological characterization of the asymmetry is to be preferred, since it is superior to the alternatives in explanatory power, intelligibility, and in how it coheres with interesting senses of openness.] http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png

The Asymmetric Nature of TimeHow Is the Asymmetry Between the Open Future and the Fixed Past to Be Characterized?

Part of the Synthese Library Book Series (volume 468)
Grandjean, Vincent
The Asymmetric Nature of Time — Sep 22, 2022
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Publisher
Springer International Publishing
Copyright
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2022. This book is an open access publication.
ISBN
978-3-031-09762-1
Pages
17 –64
DOI
10.1007/978-3-031-09763-8_2
Publisher site
See Chapter on Publisher Site

Abstract

[A basic intuition we have regarding the nature of time is that the future is open whereas the past is fixed. However, although this intuition is largely shared, it is not a straightforward matter to determine the nature of the asymmetry it reflects. So, in this chapter, I survey the various philosophical ways of characterizing the asymmetry in openness between the future and the past in order to account for our intuition. In particular, I wonder whether the asymmetry is to be characterized in semantic, epistemic, anthropocentric, physical, modal, metaphysical or ontological terms. I conclude that an ontological characterization of the asymmetry is to be preferred, since it is superior to the alternatives in explanatory power, intelligibility, and in how it coheres with interesting senses of openness.]

Published: Sep 22, 2022

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