Time, Tense, and Causation

Michael Tooley presents a major new philosophical study of time and its relation to causation. The nature of time has always been one of the most fascinating and perplexing problems of philosophy; it has in recent years become the focus of vigorous debate between advocates of rival theories. The traditional, `tensed' accounts of time which hold that time has a direction and that the flow of time is part of the nature of the universe have been challenged by `tenseless' accounts of time, according to which past, present, and future are merely subjective features of experience, rather than objective features of events. Time, Tense and Causation offers a new approach, in many ways intermediate between these two rivals. Tooley shares with tensed approaches the views that the universe if dynamic, and that the past and present are real while the future is not; but he rejects the view that this points to the existence of irreducible tensed facts. Tooley's approach accounts for time in terms of its relation to causation; he argues that the direction of time is based upon the direction of causation, and that the key to understanding the dynamic nature of the universe is to understand the nature of causation. He analyses tensed concepts, and discusses semantic issues about truth and time, Finally, addressing the formidable difficulties posed for tensed accounts of time by the Special Theory of Relativity, he suggests that a modified version of the theory, compatible with the account of time in this book, is to be preferred to the standard version. Time, Tense, and Causation is rich in sophisticated and stimulating discussions of many of the deepest problems of metaphysics. It will be essentail reading for anyone specialising in this area of philosophy.

About the Author :
Michael Tooley is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He held positions previously at the Australian National University, the University of Western Australia, and the University of Miami. He has been a visiting professor at Stanford, Wichita State, and Utah. He is the author of Abortion and Infanticide (OUP 1983) and Causation: A Realist Approach (OUP 1987). He co-edited with Ernest Sosa the volume on Causation (1993) in the Oxford Readings in Philosophy series.

Review :
`Good arguments abound. But it seems to me that the greatest virtue of the book is the admirable originality, creativity, and philosophical fecundity that Tooley displays. In this book, as in Tooley's previous works, he displays his usual independence of mind and philosophical courage. He takes on the presuppositions of the entire tradition of the tensed versus tenseless theory of time debate (rejecting both standard positions) and also takes on many other "received views," and the result is the most novel book on the tensed and tenseless theories of time that has been published in recent memory.' Philosophical Review `I cannot but admire this book very deeply. Tooley has tackled one sacred cow after another in the debate over tense, and argued every point with exemplary clarity and explicitness. The result is a brilliant, original and provocative essay that changes the metaphysical landscape in this area. It provides fresh impetus to an issue which, thought its roots go back further, is as long as this century. Time, Tense, and Causation will be read and discussed well into the next.' Robin Le Poidevin, British Journal for the Philosophy of Science `Michael Tooley's stimulating and closely argued book ... is fresh, intelligent, and controversial.' Peter Lipton, Times Literary Supplement Tooley puts a high premium on clarity and providing arguments for his views where he can. His book is valuable in providing a distinctive package of views on traditional issues in the philosophy of time, and hopefully will provoke thought both from those unsympathetic to the intuitions and arguments relied on as well as those who may find the approach congenial. - Daniel Nolan - Erkenntnis 50 1999