319:, the two propositions are identical (both true or both false) if the first assertion is made on 4 September 2024. The non-temporal relation of precedence between two events, say "E precedes F", does not change over time (excluding from this discussion the issue of the relativity of temporal order of causally disconnected events in the theory of relativity). On the other hand, the character of being "past, present or future" of the events "E" or "F" does change with time. In the image of McTaggart the passage of time consists in the fact that terms ever further in the future pass into the present...or that the present advances toward terms ever farther in the future. If we assume the first point of view, we speak as if the B series slides along a fixed A series. If we assume the second point of view, we speak as if the A series slides along a fixed B series.
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229:. Futurity and pastness allow of degrees, while the present does not. When we speak of time in this way, we are speaking in terms of a series of positions which run from the remote past through the recent past to the present, and from the present through the near future all the way to the remote future. The essential characteristic of this descriptive modality is that one must think of the
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Furthermore, while events acquire their A series determinations through a relation to something outside of time, their B series determinations hold between the events that constitutes the B series. This is the B series, and the philosophy that says all truths about time can be reduced to B series statements is the
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An important difference between the two series is that while events continuously change their position in the A series, their position in the B series does not. If an event ever is earlier than some events and later than the rest, it is always earlier than and later than those very events.
315:. For example, the assertion "today it is raining" is a tensed assertion because it depends on the temporal perspective—the present—of the person who utters it, while the assertion "It rained on 4 September 2024" is tenseless because it does not so depend. From the point of view of their
335:. Both assume an objective present, but presentism assumes that only present objects exist, while the growing block universe assumes both present and past objects exist, but not future ones. Views that assume no objective present and are therefore versions of the B-theory include
237:, in the sense that an event is first part of the future, then part of the present, and then part of the past. Moreover, the assertions made according to this modality correspond to the temporal perspective of the person who utters them. This is the A series of temporal events.
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Although originally McTaggart defined tenses as relational qualities, i.e. qualities that events possess by standing in a certain relations to something outside of time (that does not change its position in time), today it is popularly believed that he treated tenses as
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as monadic because
English tenses are normally expressed by the non-relational singular predicates "is past", "is present" and "is future", as noted by R. D. Ingthorsson.
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It seems quite clear to me that are not qualities but relations, though of course, like other relations, they will generate relational qualities in each of their terms
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McTaggart distinguished the ancient conceptions as a set of relations. According to McTaggart, there are two distinct modes in which all events can be ordered in time.
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can be ordered according to a different series of temporal positions by way of two-term relations that are
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are two different descriptions of the temporal ordering relation among
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Philosophical descriptions of the temporal ordering of events
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Ingthorsson, R. D., "McTaggart's
Paradox", Routledge, 2016.
475:, vols. 1-2, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1968.
393:. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. § 326.
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148:. The two series differ principally in their use of
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323:Relation to other ideas in the philosophy of time
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166:. They are now commonly used by contemporary
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496:"Notes on McTaggart, 'The Unreality of Time
464:McTaggart, J. E., 'The Unreality of Time',
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217:In the first mode, events are ordered as
120:Learn how and when to remove this message
485:, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1922.
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432:Presentism and the Space-Time Manifold
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58:adding citations to reliable sources
520:Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
515:"McTaggart's A series and B series"
411:. New York: Routledge. p. 45.
502:. Seminar on Philosophy and Time,
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391:The Nature of Existence, Vol. II
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45:needs additional citations for
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263:From a second point of view,
156:implications regarding time.
456:The Tenseless Theory of Time
389:McTaggart, J. M. E. (1927).
231:series of temporal positions
1288:Geological history of Earth
407:Ingthorsson, R. D. (2016).
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640:Orders of magnitude (time)
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189:. Parmenides thought that
1692:Post hoc ergo propter hoc
1550:A priori and a posteriori
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1351:Time translation symmetry
449:The Tensed Theory of Time
1595:Multiple time dimensions
235:continual transformation
1749:Concepts in metaphysics
1717:An Experiment with Time
1306:Absolute space and time
957:Astronomical chronology
483:The Principles of Logic
473:The Nature of Existence
434:by Dean Zimmerman, p. 7
358:New riddle of induction
69:"A series and B series"
1656:Growing block universe
1356:Time reversal symmetry
660:Italian six-hour clock
333:growing block universe
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1739:Philosophy of physics
1703:The Unreality of Time
1555:A series and B series
1121:Time and fate deities
1066:The Unreality of Time
1005:A series and B series
454:Craig, William Lane,
447:Craig, William Lane,
369:The Unreality of Time
164:the unreality of time
1372:Chronological dating
1341:Theory of relativity
685:Daylight saving time
311:and the B series is
281:strict partial order
168:philosophers of time
54:improve this article
1641:Four-dimensionalism
665:Thai six-hour clock
409:McTaggart's Paradox
341:four-dimensionalism
1744:Philosophy of time
1531:Philosophy of time
1195:Rosy retrospection
1173:Mental chronometry
997:Philosophy of time
504:Trinity University
205:McTaggart's series
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1200:Tense–aspect–mood
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471:McTaggart, J. E.,
458:, Springer, 2010.
451:, Springer, 2000.
418:978-1-138-67724-1
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43:This article
41:
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1708:
1661:Perdurantism
1554:
1451:Time capsule
1445:Tempus fugit
1443:
1365:Other fields
1064:
1045:Perdurantism
1004:
967:Calendar era
919:
912:
898:Cuckoo clock
835:astronomical
809:
635:Unit of time
566:Key concepts
518:
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363:Perdurantism
326:
317:truth-values
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295:Distinctions
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233:as being in
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179:Metaphysical
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52:Please help
47:verification
44:
1687:Metaphysics
1631:Endurantism
1605:Temporality
1461:Time travel
1439:System time
1346:Time domain
1331:Proper time
1155:use of time
1126:Father Time
1106:Immortality
1096:Ages of Man
1025:Endurantism
982:Regnal year
962:Big History
891:water-based
790:Solar Hijri
700:Hexadecimal
650:Measurement
612:Chronometry
598:Measurement
353:Endurantism
279:(forming a
273:irreflexive
154:ontological
134:metaphysics
1733:Categories
1666:Presentism
1636:Eternalism
1585:Eviternity
1163:Chronemics
1138:Kalachakra
1050:Presentism
1035:Eternalism
941:Chronology
879:mechanical
830:Main types
748:Main types
442:References
337:eternalism
329:presentism
305:linguistic
277:transitive
269:asymmetric
187:Parmenides
183:Heraclitus
80:newspapers
1697:Teleology
1419:Leap year
1336:Spacetime
1210:Yesterday
1111:Dreamtime
1085:Mythology
972:Deep time
884:stopwatch
859:hourglass
840:astrarium
770:Gregorian
763:Lunisolar
740:Calendars
730:Time zone
603:standards
313:tenseless
199:ephemeral
110:June 2015
1682:Etiology
1651:Finitism
1646:Fatalism
1575:Eternity
1565:Duration
1479:Category
1227:Time in
1218:Tomorrow
1080:Religion
1020:Duration
987:Timeline
921:Timeline
720:Sidereal
588:Eternity
347:See also
331:and the
303:and the
253:B series
213:A series
142:B series
140:and the
138:A series
1489:Commons
1412:Related
1326:Instant
1316:Chronon
1298:Physics
1238:Geology
1229:science
1101:Destiny
946:History
914:History
869:sundial
852:quantum
795:Chinese
785:Islamic
695:Decimal
690:Chinese
652:systems
578:Present
513:(ed.).
506:, 2005.
468:, 1908.
243:monadic
223:present
191:reality
174:History
94:scholar
1560:Action
1429:Moment
1424:Memory
1276:period
864:marine
847:atomic
822:Clocks
780:Hebrew
775:Julian
710:Metric
583:Future
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309:tensed
265:events
225:, and
219:future
195:change
146:events
136:, the
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1580:Event
1434:Space
1266:epoch
1256:chron
1214:Today
1183:tempo
1178:Music
1040:Event
874:watch
758:Lunar
753:Solar
725:Solar
715:Roman
705:Hindu
376:Notes
301:logic
247:tense
150:tense
101:JSTOR
87:books
1545:Time
1153:and
1116:Kāla
811:List
805:Maya
601:and
573:Past
559:Time
466:Mind
413:ISBN
339:and
299:The
275:and
227:past
185:and
73:news
1271:era
1261:eon
1251:age
630:TAI
620:UTC
132:In
56:by
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1216:–
1212:–
625:UT
517:.
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