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Single Idea 4230

[filed under theme 27. Natural Reality / D. Time / 2. Passage of Time / d. Time series ]

Full Idea

A-series expressions include words like 'today' and 'five weeks ago', and can be true at one time and false at another; B-series expressions are like 'simultaneously', and are always true, if true at all.

Clarification

These are two ways of seeing time

Gist of Idea

A-series expressions place things in time, and their truth varies; B-series is relative, and always true

Source

report of J.M.E. McTaggart (The Nature of Existence vol.2 [1927]) by E.J. Lowe - A Survey of Metaphysics p.308

Book Ref

Lowe,E.J.: 'A Survey of Metaphysics' [OUP 2002], p.308

A Reaction

A-series gives time separate existence, where B-series time is purely relational. Intuition favours the A-series, but how fast do events travel against this fixed background?

The 13 ideas with the same theme [type of series formed by events in time]:

22935 The B-series can be inferred from the A-series, but not the other way round [McTaggart, by Le Poidevin]
7802 A-series uses past, present and future; B-series uses 'before' and 'after' [McTaggart, by Girle]
4230 A-series expressions place things in time, and their truth varies; B-series is relative, and always true [McTaggart, by Lowe]
15199 The B-series must depend on the A-series, because change must be explained [McTaggart, by Le Poidevin]
22933 We imagine the present as a spotlight, moving across events from past to future [Broad]
6865 A-theory says past, present, future and flow exist; B-theory says this just reports our perspective [Le Poidevin]
15189 Things which have ceased change their A-series position; things that persist change their B-series position [Le Poidevin]
15198 In the B-series, time-positions are unchanging; in the A-series they change (from future to present to past) [Le Poidevin]
14022 The only three theories are Presentism, Dynamic (A-series) Eternalism and Static (B-series) Eternalism [Crisp,TM]
14003 Time is tensed or tenseless; the latter says all times and objects are real, and there is no passage of time [Bourne]
14005 B-series objects relate to each other; A-series objects relate to the present [Bourne]
22973 The present moment, time's direction, and time's dynamic quality seem to be objective facts [Price,H]
22986 The C-series rejects A and B, and just sees times as order by betweenness, without direction [Baron/Miller]