Is Presentism Morally More Desirable than Eternalism? A Dialogue
Issue: • Author/s: Francesco Orilia
Topics: Metaphysics, Moral Philosophy, Ontology, Philosophy of Time
According to presentism, only what is present exists. According to eternalism, all past, present and future things exist. Hence, in presentism, although there was pain, past pain does not exist. In contrast, in eternalism, it is not only the case that there was pain; past pain exists. Given the intrinsic obnoxiousness of pain, presentism is therefore morally or existentially more desirable that eternalism. An argument along these lines has been proposed by Orilia and several objections to it have been put forward. A dialogue between a presentist who defends the…