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What is it to “B” a relation?

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Abstract

The purpose of this paper is two fold: first, I look to show Oaklander’s (The ontology of time. New York: Prometheus Books, 2004) theory of time to be false. Second, I show that the only way to salvage the B-theory is via the adopting of the causal theory of time, and allying this to Oaklander’s claim that tense is to be eliminated. I then raise some concerns with the causal theory of time. My conclusion is that, if one adopts eternalism, the unreality of time looks a better option than the B-theory.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Philosophy, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK

    Jonathan Tallant

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  1. Jonathan Tallant
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Correspondence to Jonathan Tallant.

Additional information

With thanks to Robin Le Poidevin, Robbie Williams, Andrew McGonigal, Peter Simons, Chris Timpson and an anonymous referee for this journal for comments on a previous draft.

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Tallant, J. What is it to “B” a relation?. Synthese 162, 117–132 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-007-9173-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-007-9173-x

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