Why Time Travellers (Still) Cannot Change the Past

Revista Portuguesa de Filosofia 71 (70th Anniversary Issue on Metaph):677-94 (2015)
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Abstract

In an earlier paper I argued that time travellers cannot change the past: alleged models of changing the past either fall into contradiction or else involve avoiding, not changing, the past. Goddu has responded to my argument, maintaining that his hypertime model involves time travellers changing (not avoiding) the past. In the present paper I first discuss what would be required to substantiate the claim that a given model involves changing rather than avoiding the past. I then consider Goddu's hypertime model and an earlier model due to Meiland. I argue that neither author does what would be required to substantiate the claim that the model involves changing (not avoiding) the past. I go on to give reasons for the stronger claim that no-one can present a coherent model and also substantiate the claim that it involves changing (not avoiding) the past.

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Author Profiles

Nicholas Smith
University of New Hampshire, Durham
Nicholas J. J. Smith
University of Sydney

Citations of this work

Abilities, freedom, and inputs: a time traveller's tale.Olivia Coombes - 2023 - Dissertation, University of Edinburgh

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References found in this work

Bananas enough for time travel.Nicholas J. J. Smith - 1997 - British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 48 (3):363-389.
A two-dimensional passage model of time for time travel.Jack W. Meiland - 1974 - Philosophical Studies 26 (3-4):153 - 173.
Avoiding or changing the past.G. C. Goddu - 2011 - Pacific Philosophical Quarterly 92 (1):11-17.

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