Tense and Indeterminateness
نویسنده
چکیده
Is tense real and objective? Can the fact that something is past, say, be wholly objective, consistent with modern physics? I believe that it can. But some hold that for tense to be real, then a certain ontological doctrine must also hold. There must be a fact of the matter as to what really, truly, exists at each time. For example, it is held that only what is now really exists. This is the doctrine of presentism. Alternatively, that only what is now or past really exists; following Savitt, I shall call this possibilism. But on either view there is a problem with special relativity. There is another question that is closely related. Is the contrast between the determinate and the indeterminate real and objective, consistent with physics? I say that it is. But many will insist that it be ontologically grounded, taking us back to presentism or possibilism. If so, and if it is true that the latter are incompatible with relativity, then the contrast between the determinate and the indeterminate is incompatible with it too. It would follow that quantum theory, or at least relativistic quantum theory, cannot be interpreted in terms of this distinction. The two questions have been considered before (Maxwell 1985); but I shall present them in a rather di¤erent light, and come to di¤erent conclusions.
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تاریخ انتشار 2005