Introduction

Abstract

Chapter 1 explains the concept of time travel, clarifies the main question to be addressed, and previews the paradoxes to come. Section 1 explains the traditional view of time travel as involving a discrepancy between “personal” and “external” time. Section 2 contrasts this kind of time travel with other, purported examples of time travel. Section 3 distinguishes a number of different questions about time travel, including the question of whether or not time travel is compatible with the laws of metaphysics—particularly those having to do with the nature of time, freedom, causation, and identity. Finally, section 4 provides an outline of the rest of the book by introducing some of the key paradoxes to be addressed. Other topics in this chapter include time, causation, and metaphysical grounding.