Eternalism and perspectival realism about the `now'

DOI10.1007/S10701-020-00385-XzbMATH Open1451.83002arXiv2009.09665OpenAlexW3087035621MaRDI QIDQ828374FDOQ828374

Authors: Matias Slavov 

Publication date: 8 January 2021

Published in: Foundations of Physics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: Eternalism is the view that all times are equally real. The relativity of simultaneity in special relativity backs this up. There is no cosmically extended, self-existing 'now'. This leads to a tricky problem. What makes statements about the present true? I shall approach the problem along the lines of perspectival realism and argue that the choice of the perspective does. To corroborate this point, the Lorentz transformations of special relativity are compared to the structurally similar equations of the Doppler effect. The 'now' is perspectivally real in the same way as a particular electromagnetic spectrum frequency. I also argue that the ontology of time licensed by perspectival realism is more credible in this context than its current alternative, the fragmentalist interpretation of special relativity.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/2009.09665

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zbMATH Keywords

special relativityphilosophy of timetruthmakingeternalismfragmentalismperspectival realismthe `now'

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Physics (00A79) Special relativity (83A05) Philosophy of mathematics (00A30)

Cites Work

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Cited In (6)

• On the possibility of non-eternalism without absolute simultaneity
• Relativistic parts and places: a note on corner slices and shrinking chairs
• Title not available (Why is that?)
• The rates of the passing of time, presentism, and the issue of co-existence in special relativity
• Neither presentism nor eternalism
• Presentism remains

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