1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910390859503321

Autore

Saudek Daniel

Titolo

Change, the Arrow of Time, and Divine Eternity in Light of Relativity Theory / / by Daniel Saudek

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Cham : , : Springer International Publishing : , : Imprint : Palgrave Macmillan, , 2020

ISBN

3-030-38411-X

Edizione

[1st ed. 2020.]

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (218 pages) : illustrations

Collana

Palgrave Frontiers in Philosophy of Religion, , 2634-6176

Disciplina

530.11

115

Soggetti

Religion—Philosophy

Philosophy and science

Ontology

Philosophy of Religion

Philosophy of Science

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

1. Introduction -- Part I: Relativity theory and the passage of time -- 2. Models of time - a brief survey -- 3. The impact of the special theory of relativity on the philosophy of time -- 4. Cosmic time -- 5. World-wide becoming, block universe, or some tertium? Contemporary answers to the problem of time and relativity theory -- 6. Against substantival passage -- 7. Understanding how change relates to time -- 8. Duration of processes of change according to a causal theory -- 9. The arrow of time: the full derivation -- 10. Objections and comparisons -- 11. Our changing world -- Part II: God, change, and time -- 12. Does God change? -- 13. God's relations to temporal being -- 14 -- The unlimited, the limited, and the world.

Sommario/riassunto

This book has two aims; first, to provide a new account of time's arrow in light of relativity theory; second, to explain how God, being eternal, relates to our world, marked as it is by change and time. In part one, Saudek argues that time is not the expansive universal 'wave' that is appears to be, but nor are we living in an unchanging block. Rather, time is real but local: there are infinitely many arrows of time in the



universe, each with their own fixed past and open future. This model is based on the ontology of substances which can exist in different states, marked by different properties. On this basis, a derivation of temporal precedence and of the asymmetry between the fixed past and the open future is provided. Time's arrow is thus 'attached' to substances, and is therefore a local rather than global phenomenon, though by no means an illusory or merely subjective one. In part two, this model is then applied to the perennial questions concerning the relationship between divine eternity and the temporal world: How can my future choices be free if God already knows what I will do? Can God act if He is not in time? Through the lens of relativity theory, such questions are shown to appear in a completely new light. The book combines insights from theoretical physics with ancient and contemporary philosophy into a unique synthesis, broaching a wealth of key issues including the arrow of time, the evolution of the cosmos, and a physics-based defence of eternalism in philosophical theology. .