Questions of Time and Tense

Does time really pass, or is our ordinary experience of time as consisting of past, present, and future an illusion? This title brings together essays on this aspect of debate in contemporary metaphysics, demonstrating the importance of questions about the nature of time for philosophical issues in psychology, science, religion, and language.

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Questions of Time and Tense aims to develop and broaden a central debate in contemporary metaphysics. This debate focuses on questions about the nature of time: does time really pass? That is, do events become present and then recede into the past? Or is our ordinary conception of time, as consisting of an ever-shifting past, present, and future, merely reflective of our perspective on the world? The editor gives an introductory guide to the debate, outlining the development of rival theories. Then an international line-up of authors contribute eleven essays, all but one specially written for this volume, which demonstrate that these questions are intimately connected with issues in other areas of philosophy. The discussion moves through metaphysics, philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, philosophy of science, philosophy of religion, ethics, and aesthetics.