The Dead Past Dilemma

Abstract

AbstractA temporal levels structure for temporal metaphysics is outlined and employed to convey a dilemma threatening the temporal collapse ofGrowing-Block Theoriesto their meta-temporal level. The outline further explains howPresentismoccupies a privileged (default) position in that temporal levels structure. Moreover, that dilemma relies crucially on the acceptance of productive causation as explaining additions to the growing block, for which it is argued any reasonable growing-block theory should incorporate. The dilemma’s first horn considers growing-block theories where productive causes are only so when present; the second, growing-block theories where productive causes continue being so when past. Either way, growing-block theory collapses intoAccruing-Present Theory: whereby all entities survive into succeedingpresent“blocks” of existents. It is argued, thepresentnessof surviving entities undermines their intended theoretical role, undercutting motivations for believing accruing-present theses. Ultimately, I recommend rejection of both growing-block and accruing-present theses based on these explanatory inadequacies.