Eternalism and Presentism – Vrinda Rathi
Eternalism and presentism refer to two competing philosophical views on the topic of time structure. Eternalism, also known as the Block Universe theory, argues that the past, present, and future are all equally real and exist with the same value. In this view, the universe can be visualized as a solid block of events spread out through space and time. According to eternalism, we are constantly moving through this static flow of inevitable events, always experiencing these events, but never modifying them or influencing the predetermined flow of events. Eternalism would claim that non-present objects such as George Washington and Martian outposts exist now, despite not being currently present. Theoretically, if we knew everything about the world, we would be able to predict future events as the predetermined events of the universe are based on certain underlying laws that will always hold true. On the other hand, presentism, also known as the Growing Block Universe theory, posits that only present events truly exist. In this idea, the future has not yet happened and is undetermined, and the past has departed, but still influences the present. Presentism argues that only the present is truly absolute, as well as the past as present moments become past events once they occur. The future is not considered as “real” until it becomes the present. Furthermore, the future is not set or predetermined and is instead based on the events and choices that are being made in the present. According to presentism, you and the Taj Mahal would exist, but George Washington and Martian outposts would not be considered as “existing”. While there is much debate over which of these ideas is “correct”, they both have strong support across the population and hold value in ontological philosophy.
References:
Stoneham, Tom. “Time and Truth: The Presentism-Eternalism Debate.” Philosophy, vol. 84, no. 328, 2009, pp. 201–18. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/20533186. Accessed 26 Feb. 2024.
Emery, Nina, Ned Markosian, and Meghan Sullivan, “Time”, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2020 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2020/entries/time/.
Ingram, David and Jonathan Tallant, “Presentism”, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2023 Edition), Edward N. Zalta & Uri Nodelman (eds.), https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2023/entries/presentism/.
Emery, Nina, Ned Markosian, and Meghan Sullivan, “Time”, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2020 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2020/entries/time/.
Ingram, David and Jonathan Tallant, “Presentism”, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2023 Edition), Edward N. Zalta & Uri Nodelman (eds.), https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2023/entries/presentism/.
