308:, 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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218:. 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.
304:. 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
324:. 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
226:, 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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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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debate about temporal orderings reaches back to the ancient Greek philosophers
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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.
464:, vols. 1-2, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1968.
382:. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. § 326.
186:, flux and decay. Reality for Heraclitus is dynamic and
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137:. The two series differ principally in their use of
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49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
312:Relation to other ideas in the philosophy of time
1699:The Singular Universe and the Reality of Time
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155:. They are now commonly used by contemporary
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485:"Notes on McTaggart, 'The Unreality of Time
453:McTaggart, J. E., 'The Unreality of Time',
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206:In the first mode, events are ordered as
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
474:, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1922.
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421:Presentism and the Space-Time Manifold
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47:adding citations to reliable sources
509:Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
504:"McTaggart's A series and B series"
400:. New York: Routledge. p. 45.
491:. Seminar on Philosophy and Time,
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380:The Nature of Existence, Vol. II
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34:needs additional citations for
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252:From a second point of view,
145:implications regarding time.
445:The Tenseless Theory of Time
378:McTaggart, J. M. E. (1927).
220:series of temporal positions
1277:Geological history of Earth
396:Ingthorsson, R. D. (2016).
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629:Orders of magnitude (time)
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178:. Parmenides thought that
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1539:A priori and a posteriori
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1340:Time translation symmetry
438:The Tensed Theory of Time
1584:Multiple time dimensions
224:continual transformation
1738:Concepts in metaphysics
1706:An Experiment with Time
1295:Absolute space and time
946:Astronomical chronology
472:The Principles of Logic
462:The Nature of Existence
423:by Dean Zimmerman, p. 7
347:New riddle of induction
58:"A series and B series"
1645:Growing block universe
1345:Time reversal symmetry
649:Italian six-hour clock
322:growing block universe
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1728:Philosophy of physics
1692:The Unreality of Time
1544:A series and B series
1110:Time and fate deities
1055:The Unreality of Time
994:A series and B series
443:Craig, William Lane,
436:Craig, William Lane,
358:The Unreality of Time
153:the unreality of time
1361:Chronological dating
1330:Theory of relativity
674:Daylight saving time
300:and the B series is
270:strict partial order
157:philosophers of time
43:improve this article
1630:Four-dimensionalism
654:Thai six-hour clock
398:McTaggart's Paradox
330:four-dimensionalism
1733:Philosophy of time
1520:Philosophy of time
1184:Rosy retrospection
1162:Mental chronometry
986:Philosophy of time
493:Trinity University
194:McTaggart's series
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460:McTaggart, J. E.,
447:, Springer, 2010.
440:, Springer, 2000.
407:978-1-138-67724-1
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32:This article
30:
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21:
20:
1704:
1697:
1650:Perdurantism
1543:
1440:Time capsule
1434:Tempus fugit
1432:
1354:Other fields
1053:
1034:Perdurantism
993:
956:Calendar era
908:
901:
887:Cuckoo clock
824:astronomical
798:
624:Unit of time
555:Key concepts
507:
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356:
352:Perdurantism
315:
306:truth-values
301:
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284:Distinctions
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222:as being in
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168:Metaphysical
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41:Please help
36:verification
33:
1676:Metaphysics
1620:Endurantism
1594:Temporality
1450:Time travel
1428:System time
1335:Time domain
1320:Proper time
1144:use of time
1115:Father Time
1095:Immortality
1085:Ages of Man
1014:Endurantism
971:Regnal year
951:Big History
880:water-based
779:Solar Hijri
689:Hexadecimal
639:Measurement
601:Chronometry
587:Measurement
342:Endurantism
268:(forming a
262:irreflexive
143:ontological
123:metaphysics
1722:Categories
1655:Presentism
1625:Eternalism
1574:Eviternity
1152:Chronemics
1127:Kalachakra
1039:Presentism
1024:Eternalism
930:Chronology
868:mechanical
819:Main types
737:Main types
431:References
326:eternalism
318:presentism
294:linguistic
266:transitive
258:asymmetric
176:Parmenides
172:Heraclitus
69:newspapers
1686:Teleology
1408:Leap year
1325:Spacetime
1199:Yesterday
1100:Dreamtime
1074:Mythology
961:Deep time
873:stopwatch
848:hourglass
829:astrarium
759:Gregorian
752:Lunisolar
729:Calendars
719:Time zone
592:standards
302:tenseless
188:ephemeral
99:June 2015
1671:Etiology
1640:Finitism
1635:Fatalism
1564:Eternity
1554:Duration
1468:Category
1216:Time in
1207:Tomorrow
1069:Religion
1009:Duration
976:Timeline
910:Timeline
709:Sidereal
577:Eternity
336:See also
320:and the
292:and the
242:B series
202:A series
131:B series
129:and the
127:A series
1478:Commons
1401:Related
1315:Instant
1305:Chronon
1287:Physics
1227:Geology
1218:science
1090:Destiny
935:History
903:History
858:sundial
841:quantum
784:Chinese
774:Islamic
684:Decimal
679:Chinese
641:systems
567:Present
502:(ed.).
495:, 2005.
457:, 1908.
232:monadic
212:present
180:reality
163:History
83:scholar
1549:Action
1418:Moment
1413:Memory
1265:period
853:marine
836:atomic
811:Clocks
769:Hebrew
764:Julian
699:Metric
572:Future
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298:tensed
254:events
214:, and
208:future
184:change
135:events
125:, the
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1569:Event
1423:Space
1255:epoch
1245:chron
1203:Today
1172:tempo
1167:Music
1029:Event
863:watch
747:Lunar
742:Solar
714:Solar
704:Roman
694:Hindu
365:Notes
290:logic
236:tense
139:tense
90:JSTOR
76:books
1534:Time
1142:and
1105:Kāla
800:List
794:Maya
590:and
562:Past
548:Time
455:Mind
402:ISBN
328:and
288:The
264:and
216:past
174:and
62:news
1260:era
1250:eon
1240:age
619:TAI
609:UTC
121:In
45:by
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1205:–
1201:–
614:UT
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