Experiencing Time
Published on 5. May 2016
Book
Hardback
238 pages
978-0-19-874894-6 (ISBN)
Description
Our engagement with time is a ubiquitous feature of our lives. We are aware of time on many scales, from the briefest flicker of change to the way our lives unfold over many years. But to what extent does this encounter reveal the true nature of temporal reality? To the extent that temporal reality is as it seems, how do we come to be aware of it? And to the extent that temporal reality is not as it seems, why does it seem that way? These are the central questions addressed by Simon Prosser in Experiencing Time.
These questions take on a particular importance in philosophy for two reasons. Firstly, there is a view concerning the metaphysics of time, known as the B-theory of time, according to which the apparently dynamic quality of change, the special status of the present, and even the passage of time are all illusions. Instead, the world is a four-dimensional space-time block, lacking any of the apparent dynamic features of time. If the B-theory is correct, as the book argues, then it must be explained why our experiences seem to tell us otherwise. Secondly, experiences of temporal features such as changes, rates and durations are of independent interest because of certain puzzles that they raise, the solutions to which may shed light on broader issues in the philosophy of mind.
These questions take on a particular importance in philosophy for two reasons. Firstly, there is a view concerning the metaphysics of time, known as the B-theory of time, according to which the apparently dynamic quality of change, the special status of the present, and even the passage of time are all illusions. Instead, the world is a four-dimensional space-time block, lacking any of the apparent dynamic features of time. If the B-theory is correct, as the book argues, then it must be explained why our experiences seem to tell us otherwise. Secondly, experiences of temporal features such as changes, rates and durations are of independent interest because of certain puzzles that they raise, the solutions to which may shed light on broader issues in the philosophy of mind.
Reviews / Votes
One of the central debates in contemporary discussions of the philosophy of time is the one between the A-theory and B-theory... Despite the fact that the detector and multi-detector arguments fail to undermine the A-theory, there are still many interesting and useful suggestions in these chapters pertaining to the issue of how to make sense of certain features of human experience in terms that are amenable to the B-theory. For this reason, I highly recommend Prosser's book to anyone working in the field. * P.X Monaghan, Philosophy in Review * Experiencing Time addresses an exciting topic: what bearing the phenomenology of our experience of time might have on some key disputes over the nature of temporal reality, centrally whether the character of that phenomenology favours an 'A-theory' of time, which holds that there is temporal passage, over a 'B-theory' or 'static block' view... Prosser's book is rich in argument. * Barry Lee, Analysis * Prosser carefully explains unfamiliar terms and issues as they arise, making this an excellent introduction to issues in both the philosophy of time and the philosophy of mind for the general philosophical reader ... Exploring Time is a provocative, engaging and yet accessible exploration of the many different elements of our temporal experience, while at the same time being a stalwart defence of the B-theory of time. ... He draws not just on work in metaphysics and the philosophy of the mind but also on recent empirical work in psychology and cognitive science. This is a must-read for anyone interested in the philosophy of time and the psychology of temporal experience. * Heather Dyke, Philosophy Now * The most ambitious attempt I know of to explain how the B-theory of time can account for the dynamic features of experience The book does a good job of presenting what the issue is, and introduces interesting new perspectives to it ... I thoroughly recommend it. * R.D. Ingthorsson, Metascience Review * Prosser's proposals are important and his discussion engaging. His treatment also contains much of value even to those who do not share his guiding interest in defending the B-theory ... In short, whatever one's perspective, Prosser's book is rich fare for thought, and essential reading for anyone puzzled by our experiential encounter with time. * Ian Phillips, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 17 mm
Weight
526 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-874894-6 (9780198748946)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Simon Prosser studied physics at the University of Birmingham and then philosophy at the University of Warwick and also, for one year, in Paris. He moved from physics to philosophy after realising that the big questions that interested him concerning time, space, and other matters were really philosophical questions rather than questions in physics. He now works at the University of St Andrews. His research is mainly in the philosophy of mind, but he also has interests in metaphysics. He has written on consciousness, temporal experience, the metaphysics of time, indexical thoughts, the nature of concepts, and the metaphysics of emergent properties.
Content
1: Introduction: The Metaphysics of Time
2: Experience and the Passage of Time
3: Attitudes to the Past, Present, and Future
4: Experiencing Rates and Durations
5: Is Experience Temporally Extended?
6: Why Does Change Seem Dynamic?
7: Moving Through Time, and the Open Future
Bibliography
2: Experience and the Passage of Time
3: Attitudes to the Past, Present, and Future
4: Experiencing Rates and Durations
5: Is Experience Temporally Extended?
6: Why Does Change Seem Dynamic?
7: Moving Through Time, and the Open Future
Bibliography