The Philosophy of Time
Joint Conference of EXRE and the Pro*Doc Mind & Reality
Date: 27. - 30. January 2012
Location: Thermalp Hotel, Ovronnaz
Programme: PDF File
Further Information: Website at www.jiribenovsky.org
Organiser: Jiri Benovsky
Contact: Jiri Benovsky
Invited Speakers
- - Robert Hopkins (University of Sheffield)
- - L. A. Paul (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill)
- - Kristie Miller (University of Sydney)
- - Barry Dainton (University of Liverpool)
- - Michael Esfeld (University of Lausanne)
- - David Braddon-Mitchell (University of Sydney)
Conference Topic
There are three broad kinds of questions about the nature of time that are often studied separately, but we believe that the three fields of research should communicate and interact in order to gain a better understanding of what time is. These three questions are:
The metaphysical questions: What is time? How do material objects persist through time? What is the ontological status of the past and the future? What is the relationship between time and change? Does time 'flow'? Is time travel into the past metaphysically possible? What is the topology of time?
The epistemological questions: What is the nature of our experience of time? What is the epistemological role of the experience of time – are there beliefs (e.g. those based on remembering) that require for their justification an experience of time? What role does the experience of time play in the justification of perceptual beliefs?
The aesthetic questions: How is time represented in artworks? What experience of time can we have through artworks? How is the experience of time represented in art (movies, photographs, painting, music, ...)? What role does the experience of time play in our experience (understanding) or art?
The aim of this workshop is to create an opportunity for these three fields to communicate. Invited speakers, while being each a specialist in his/her own field, will make a contribution relevant in their area of specialization, but in such a way that it can enrich the other two areas as well.