Nefarious Presentism
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Publication details
| Journal | The Philosophical Quarterly |
|---|---|
| Date | E-pub ahead of print - 25 Jun 2015 |
| Date | Published (current) - Jul 2015 |
| Issue number | 260 |
| Volume | 65 |
| Number of pages | 17 |
| Pages (from-to) | 355–371 |
| Early online date | 25/06/15 |
| Original language | English |
Abstract
Presentists, who believe that only present objects exist, face a problem concerning truths about the past. Presentists should (but cannot) locate truth-makers for truths about the past. What can presentists say in response? We identify two rival factions ‘upstanding’ and ‘nefarious’ presentists. Upstanding presentists aim to meet the challenge, positing presently existing truth-makers for truths about the past; nefarious presentists aim to shirk their responsibilities, using the language of truth-maker theory but without paying any ontological price. We argue that presentists should be nefarious presentists.
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