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Re-Thinking Time at the Interface of Physics and Philosophy: The Forgotten Present
The current volume of the Parmenides Series “On Thinking” addresses our deepest and most personal experience of the world, the experience of “the present,” from a modern perspective combining physics and philosophy. Many prominent researchers have contributed articles to the volume, in which they present models and express their opinions on and, in some cases, also their skepticism about the subject and how it may be (or may not be) addressed, as well as which aspects they consider most relevant in this context.
While Einstein might have once hoped that “the present” would find its place in the theory of general relativity, in a later discussion with Carnap he expressed his disappointment that he was never able to achieve this goal. This collection of articles provides a unique overview of different modern approaches, representing not only a valuable summary for experts, but also a nearly inexhaustible source of profound and novel ideas for those who are simply interested in this question.
While Einstein might have once hoped that “the present” would find its place in the theory of general relativity, in a later discussion with Carnap he expressed his disappointment that he was never able to achieve this goal. This collection of articles provides a unique overview of different modern approaches, representing not only a valuable summary for experts, but also a nearly inexhaustible source of profound and novel ideas for those who are simply interested in this question.
286 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2015
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August 29, 2020
Time Is Too Precious
This volume of essays about the philosophy of time is a lovely example of the problems created by professional thinkers when they have very little important to say but considerably more academic ambition. They prattle aimlessly; they write horribly; they obscure in order to hide their banality; and they boor the reader, and undoubtedly each other, to tears. With little grasp of grammar much less style, these authors seem to communicate through neo-logistic acronyms and baroque circumlocutions. They love to be ‘radical’ and ‘innovative’ and ‘fundamental’ but they have difficulty in describing what they are radical and innovative and fundamental about; so they puff. They can neither summarise nor explain their ideas in a discernibly logical way. They appear incapable of argument; rather, they expostulate. In short, they are actually uneducated. Their real skill is in playground games with arcane rules not thought. The result is... well, a waste of time.
This volume of essays about the philosophy of time is a lovely example of the problems created by professional thinkers when they have very little important to say but considerably more academic ambition. They prattle aimlessly; they write horribly; they obscure in order to hide their banality; and they boor the reader, and undoubtedly each other, to tears. With little grasp of grammar much less style, these authors seem to communicate through neo-logistic acronyms and baroque circumlocutions. They love to be ‘radical’ and ‘innovative’ and ‘fundamental’ but they have difficulty in describing what they are radical and innovative and fundamental about; so they puff. They can neither summarise nor explain their ideas in a discernibly logical way. They appear incapable of argument; rather, they expostulate. In short, they are actually uneducated. Their real skill is in playground games with arcane rules not thought. The result is... well, a waste of time.
Displaying 1 of 1 review