RE: Presentism and Infinite Chain of Past Events
December 11, 2017 at 12:12 pm
(This post was last modified: December 11, 2017 at 12:17 pm by GrandizerII.)
(December 11, 2017 at 11:44 am)Grandizer Wrote:(December 11, 2017 at 11:21 am)wallym Wrote: I didn't realize you read book chapters. I take it all back. Keep applying logic and intuition without the math and science to counter-intuitive concepts rooted in math in science. If there ever was a recipe for success, that's probably it.
What concepts "rooted in math in science"? Metaphysics can be studied without advanced knowledge in mathematics or knowing rocket science. In some cases, you can reach logical conclusions without the need to do any advanced experimental science.
(December 11, 2017 at 11:33 am)Hammy Wrote: Because existence is eternal . . . as in, it had no beginning or end.
I know you believe that. But what I'm asking you is how did we reach the current present if there was no starting point to time from which we can metaphorically trace a line from it to the present moment?
An analogous question: Is it possible to count from negative infinity to any integer (integer by integer, as in: -infinity, ..., -4, -3, -2, -1, ...), provided you have always existed eternally? It seems like by saying that it is possible, then we are treating it as a number as opposed to a concept.
Hammy, you said time is illusory or only present exist? I think I get what youre saying. Dont worry about the challenge then. I think its not an issue in your case.
(December 11, 2017 at 12:04 pm)SteveII Wrote:(December 11, 2017 at 11:11 am)Grandizer Wrote: I still don't think you understand what eternalism is or implies. There are connections between moments of time, but the connections are not temporal because all the connected "regions" are already there. The USA and Canada, generally, are connected to each other. There is a link there, even though they share different spatial coordinates (different spaces, locations). Now, whether you could say they're causally related or not is another topic of discussion that isn't just something only relevant to eternalism. I think causality is a tricky thing to pinpoint, because I have a hard time (philosophically, not scientifically) differentiating between cause and preceding event.
Again, this is not a topic that is only relevant to eternalism. This has more to do with the self, what makes you you, and is the self an illusion, and all the implications. I don't want to get into all that in this thread. You can make new threads for each of these topics.
I didn't mention time/temporal. Stop bringing it up (and the USA and Canada). Your OP specifically said that eternalism answers the problem of a past infinite. Yes or no--can the timeslices be ordered according to causal principles? Hint: it's not "tricky to pinpoint". If the answer is yes, tell me why you don't have the same problem presentism has.
I think the persistence of the 'self' is relevant to whether the B Theory of time is coherent. But I will drop it for now.
I dont know what makes a cause a cause as opposed to preceding event. Do you? I would love to hear what you have to say about this.
That said, let me say "yes" anyway. Whats the problem?
