Summary |
One of the central debates in the philosophy of time is between
the A-theorists and the B-theorists. These unhelpful labels can be traced
back to John McTaggart's distinction between the A-series and the
B-series. According to the B-theory of time, the present is not metaphysically distinguished in any way from past
and
future times. Just as there is nothing metaphysically special about,
say,
London as opposed to Sydney, the B-theorist maintains that there is
nothing
metaphysically special about the present moment as opposed to, say, the
year 1847 or
2157. Some B-theorists deny that time really flows or passes, while others
argue that passage can be accommodated within a framework where all
times are metaphysically on par. The A-theory of time, in contrast, maintains that the present is metaphysically privileged in some way and the properties of being past, being present and being future are fundamental to the nature of time. |