Baron, Samuel and Le Bihan, Baptiste (2022) Trouble on the Horizon for Presentism. [Preprint]

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Abstract

Surface presentism is the combination of a general relativistic physics with a presentist metaphysics. In this paper, we provide an argument against this combination based on black holes. The problem focuses on the notion of an event horizon. We argue that the present locations of event horizons are ontologically dependent on future black hole regions, and that this dependence is incompatible with presentism. We consider five responses to the problem available to the surface presentist, and argue that none succeed. Surface presentism thus faces the prospect of refutation based on evidence that confirms the existence of black holes.

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Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Baron, Samuel samuel.baron@uwa.edu.au 0000-0003-4000-3276 Le Bihan, Baptiste baptiste.lebihan@unige.ch
Additional Information:	Forthcoming in Philosophers' Imprint
Keywords:	presentism; black holes; spacetime; time; event horizons; ontological dependence
Subjects:	General Issues > Scientific Metaphysics Specific Sciences > Physics > Astrophysics General Issues > Laws of Nature General Issues > Realism/Anti-realism Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory
Depositing User:	Dr. Baptiste Le Bihan
Date Deposited:	03 Mar 2022 17:34
Last Modified:	03 Mar 2022 17:34
Item ID:	20260
Subjects:	General Issues > Scientific Metaphysics Specific Sciences > Physics > Astrophysics General Issues > Laws of Nature General Issues > Realism/Anti-realism Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory
Date:	2022
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/20260

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