1. Time McTaggart’s Argument

2. Time W hat, then, is time? I know well enough what it is, provided that nobody asks me; but if I am asked what it is and try to explain, I am baffled. -St. Agustine, Confessions

3. Time W hat, then, is time? I know well enough what it is, provided that nobody asks me; but if I am asked what it is and try to explain, I am baffled. -St. Agustine, Confessions I n all ages and in all parts of the world the belief in the unreality of time has shown itself to be singularly persistent…. -John McTaggart, The Nature of Existence

4. The A-series and the B-series The B-series is the series of all events ordered in terms of temporal relations like earlier than, simultaneous with and later than. The A-series is the series of all events ordered in terms of temporal properties like being past, being present and being future. B-relations are permanent temporal relations like earlier than. A-properties are temporary temporal properties like being past.

5. McTaggart’s Argument Against the A-Series T he characteristics, therefore, are incompatible. But every event has them all. If M is past, it has been present and future. If it is future, it will be present and past. If it is present, it has been future and will be past. Thus all three characteristics belong to each event. How is this consistent with their being incompatible?

6. McTaggart’s Argument Against the A-Series 1) If the A-series is real, then every event is past, present, and future. 2) Pastness, presentness and futurity are incompatible properties. 3) If (2), then it’s not the case that every event is past, present, and future. 4) [So] The A-series is not real.

7. McTaggart’s Argument Against the A-Series Objection: It’s not the case that the lecture is past, present and future; rather it will be past, it is present and it was future. Being present entails Not being past It doesn’t entail Not having been past Reply: The regress worry X was future = X is future at some past time. X is present = X is present at the present time. X will be past = X is past at some future time.

8. McTaggart’s Argument Against the A-Series Objection: It’s not the case that the lecture is past, present and future; rather it will be past, it is present and it was future. Being present entails Not being past It doesn’t entail Not having been past Reply: The regress worry X was future = X is future at some past time. X is present = X is present at the present time. X will be past = X is past at some future time.