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Predicate-term negation and the indeterminacy of the future

Harrington, James (2007) Predicate-term negation and the indeterminacy of the future. [Preprint]

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    Abstract

    This essay introduces a formal structure to model the indeterminacy of the future in Einstein-Minkowski space-time. We consider a first-order language, supplemented with an operator for predicate-term negation, and defend the claim that such an operation provides an appropriate model for the indeterminacy of future contingents. In the final section, it is proved that given a language otherwise adequate to represent a physical theory, at least some of the predicates of that language are indeterminate when the future is not causally determined by the present and the past.

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    Item Type: Preprint
    Keywords: spacetime, tense logic, indeterminacy, future contingents, relativity
    Subjects: Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory
    General Issues > Determinism/Indeterminism
    Depositing User: JAMES HARRINGTON
    Date Deposited: 20 Jun 2011 11:32
    Last Modified: 20 Jun 2011 11:32
    Item ID: 8676
    URI: http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/8676

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