Philosopheasy Editorial Ledger
Curated and annotated by the Philosopheasy Editorial Board as part of the series on Ideas Surviving Outside the Algorithmic Consensus. [Estimated reading time: 3 mins]
We live with the intuitive conviction that the past is gone and the future is unwritten. Presentism formalizes this intuition, declaring that the universe is a dynamic, three-dimensional entity evolving through a succession of fleeting "nows." For the presentist, the past exists only as memory or physical traces in the present, and the future exists only as potentiality.
The A-Theory of Time
Presentism is the metaphysical backbone of the "A-Theory of time," which asserts that events possess genuine, objective properties of being "past," "present," or "future." These properties are dynamic: an event (like your next birthday) starts in the future, briefly becomes present, and then recedes forever into the past.
This view aligns closely with our psychological experience of passage. However, presentism faces severe philosophical and scientific challenges, particularly when trying to explain what makes statements about the past true (the "truthmaker problem") and how to reconcile its absolute "now" with Einstein's relativity.
Core Tenets of Presentism
To understand the presentist worldview, we must look at its foundational assumptions about reality:
- Temporal Monism: Only the present exists. The past and future have an ontological status of zero.
- Dynamic Change: Change is real and fundamental; the universe physically updates itself from one state to the next.
- Asymmetry: There is a profound ontological difference between the fixed, unalterable past (which no longer exists) and the open, undetermined future (which does not yet exist).
Textual Citations & Primary Sources
- Arthur Prior, Papers on Time and Tense (1968). Prior's pioneering work in tense logic, establishing the formal framework for presentism.
- Ned Markosian, "A Defense of Presentism," Oxford Studies in Metaphysics (2004). A modern metaphysical defense addressing the scientific objections to presentism.
If you found this valuable, consider supporting our work.
Join PhiloCrux community.
Unlock high-density masterclasses and investigations into ideas surviving outside the algorithmic consensus. Support independent thought and get full access to our digital library.
Join Now