Language and TimeOxford University Press, 01.08.2002 - 262 Seiten This book offers a defense of the tensed theory of time, a critique of the New Theory of Reference, and an argument that simultaneity is absolute. Although Smith rejects ordinary language philosophy, he shows how it is possible to argue from the nature of language to the nature of reality. Specifically, he argues that semantic properties of tensed sentences are best explained by the hypothesis that they ascribe to events temporal properties of futurity, presentness, or pastness and do not merely ascribe relations of earlier than or simultaneity. He criticizes the New Theory of Reference, which holds that "now" refers directly to a time and does not ascribe the property of presentness. Smith does not adopt the old or Fregean theory of reference but develops a third alternative, based on his detailed theory of de re and de dicto propositions and a theory of cognitive significance. He concludes the book with a lengthy critique of Einstein's theory of time. Smith offers a positive argument for absolute simultaneity based on his theory that all propositions exist in time. He shows how Einstein's relativist temporal concepts are reducible to a conjunction of absolutist temporal concepts and relativist nontemporal concepts of the observable behavior of light rays, rigid bodies, and the like. |
Inhalt
3 | |
12 The Old Tenseless Theory of Time | 8 |
13 The New Tenseless Theory of Time | 11 |
14 The A Priori Version of the Nonsemantic Tenseless Theory of Time | 14 |
15 The A Posteriori Version of the Nonsemantic Tenseless Theory of Time | 18 |
The Untranslatability of ASentences by Tenseless DateSentences | 27 |
22 The Truth Conditions of ASentenceTokens and Tenseless DateSentences | 33 |
23 The Confirmation Conditions of ASentenceTokens and Tenseless DateSentences | 39 |
55 Direct and Indirect Property Ascription | 148 |
56 States of Affairs | 151 |
57 Presentness as a Metaphysical Subject of All AStatesofAffairs | 158 |
58 The NoProperty Tensed Theory of Time | 166 |
59 McTaggarts Paradox | 169 |
Presentness as a Logical Subject of Tenseless Sentences | 180 |
62 Tenseless Singular and Existential Sentences Other Than BSentences | 188 |
63 BSentences | 192 |
A Adolf Griinbaums Theory of ADateSentenceTokens | 40 |
B William Lycans Theory | 42 |
C David Kaplans and Nathan Salmons Implicit Theories | 44 |
D Michelle Beers Theory | 49 |
24 The Entailment Relations of ASentenceTokens and Tenseless DateSentences | 50 |
25 The Logical Identities of ASentenceTokens and Tenseless DateSentences | 56 |
Intersubstitutivity in Extensional Contexts | 61 |
The Untranslatability of ASentences by Tenseless TokenReflexive Sentences | 67 |
32 The Truth Conditions of ASentences and Tenseless TokenReflexive Sentences | 72 |
33 The Confirmation Conditions of ASentences and Tenseless TokenReflexive Sentences | 78 |
34 The Entailment Relations of ASentences and Tenseless TokenReflexive Sentences | 81 |
35 The Logical Identities of ASentences and Tenseless TokenReflexive Sentences | 86 |
36 The Psychological Theory of ASentences | 90 |
The Tensed Theory of ASentences | 94 |
43 The Tensed Explanation of the Tenseless TokenReflexive Rules of ASentenceTokens | 98 |
44 The Tensed Explanation of the Tenseless TokenIndependent Rules Governing the Propositions Expressed by ASentenceTokens | 105 |
45 The Tensed Explanation of AIndexicals and their Relation to ANonindexicals | 110 |
46 The Tensed Theory of Temporal Quasi Indicators | 121 |
47 The Cognitive Significance of AIndexicals | 124 |
THE ARGUMENT FOR PRESENTISM | 131 |
Presentness as a Logical Subject of ASentences | 133 |
52 A Preliminary Analysis of Property Ascription | 136 |
53 The Conveyance Relation | 141 |
54 Two Species of the Propositional Relation | 144 |
64 Synthetic Generalizations | 199 |
65 Tautological and Analytic Sentences | 204 |
66 NonEnglish Sentences | 215 |
Absolute Presentness and the Special Theory of Relativity | 225 |
A All Elsewhere Events Are Present | 226 |
B All Events Orthogonal to the Time Axis of a Present Event Are Present | 227 |
C Only What Is HereNow Is Present | 228 |
72 Metaphysical Time and SpecialTheoryofRelativityTime | 229 |
73 The Reductionist Nature of the Special Theory of Relativity Temporal Definitions | 232 |
74 The Primitiveness and Absoluteness of Metaphysical Time | 234 |
75 All Mental Events Exist in Metaphysical Time | 236 |
76 All Physical Events Are in Metaphysical Time | 239 |
77 Metaphysical Time Is the Only Possible Time | 241 |
78 Metaphysical Time Distinguished from Other Candidates for Absolute Time | 243 |
A Cosmic Time | 244 |
BPhysically Reducible Absolute Time | 245 |
C NeoLorentz Time | 246 |
D Newtonian Time | 247 |
E Divine Time | 248 |
Conclusion | 251 |
The Presentist Attitude | 252 |
260 | |
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A-expressions A-indexicals A-sentences A-token A. N. Prior absolutely simultaneous argue argument B-relation B-sentences Battle of Waterloo believe chapter cognitive significance complex copula D. H. Mellor date theory definite description detenser devoid of linguistic dicto direct reference entails example exemplifies exists express A-propositions extensional fact false future tensed includes indexical inheres in John's J.J.C. Smart John is running John's running language logical identity logical subject logically equivalent means Mellor n-adic properties nontemporal noon occurs Philosophical physical events possess possible world predicates present tensed presentist presentness inheres proposition expressed propositional relation psychological reference frame relatively rules of usage semantic content sempiternality sense sentence-token synonymous syntactical T₂ temporal relations tensed copula tensed sentences tensed theory tenseless date-sentences tenseless sentences tenseless theory tenseless truth conditions theory of A-sentences thesis thin referent Thursday tion token-reflexive sentences token-reflexive theory translation true truth conditions truth value truth vehicle universal metaphysical