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Single Idea 15193

[filed under theme 27. Natural Reality / D. Time / 2. Passage of Time / f. Tenseless (B) series ]

Full Idea

The new tenseless theory has given up Russell's attempt to reduce tensed statements (in terms of 'simultaneous with'), and instead give tenseless truth-conditions (in terms of indexicals).

Gist of Idea

The new tenseless theory offers indexical truth-conditions, instead of a reductive analysis

Source

Robin Le Poidevin (Intro to 'Questions of Time and Tense' [1998], 3)

Book Ref

'Questions of Time and Tense', ed/tr. Le Poidevin,R [OUP 2002], p.6


A Reaction

[compressed]


The 11 ideas from 'Intro to 'Questions of Time and Tense''

In the tenseless view, all times are equally real, so statements of the future have truth-values [Le Poidevin]
It is claimed that the tense view entails the unreality of both future and past [Le Poidevin]
If things don't persist through time, then change makes no sense [Le Poidevin]
Things which have ceased change their A-series position; things that persist change their B-series position [Le Poidevin]
We share a common now, but not a common here [Le Poidevin]
At the very least, minds themselves seem to be tensed [Le Poidevin]
Evil can't be an illusion, because then the illusion that there is evil would be evil [Le Poidevin]
The new tenseless theory offers indexical truth-conditions, instead of a reductive analysis [Le Poidevin]
If the future is not real, we don't seem to have any obligation to future individuals [Le Poidevin]
God being inside or outside of time both raise a group of difficult problems [Le Poidevin]
Fiction seems to lack a tensed perspective, and offers an example of tenseless language [Le Poidevin]