The analysis of the time and change relationship is based on the investigation of their concepts via non-occurrence or occurrence of senseless and changeless intervals. It is necessary to underline the idea that the correlation of time and change has been analyzed by many philosophers over centuries; the article ‘Time without change’ by Sydney Shoemaker is dedicated to the rejection of intuition as to the impossibility of time existence without any change. The central thought expressed by the thinker is concentrated around the demonstration of time without change requiring no changeless time intervals; the paper under analysis argues that despite the close interconnection of time and change, these concepts can exist and function separately.
Time Without Change – Argument
Time can exist without change without the involvement of any changeless intervals; Shoemaker tried to demonstrate the world through three principle small regions, such as A, B, and C. It should be stressed that his regions are separated on the principle of natural boundaries giving an opportunity for the world’s inhabitants to pass; each of them is subjected to ‘local freeze’:
‘During a local freeze it is impossible for people from other regions to pass into the region where the freeze exists, but when inhabitants of other regions enter it immediately following the end of a freeze they find that everything is just as it would have been in the period of the freeze had not occurred’ (Shoemaker, 385)
The description of the change in its real expression is completely rejected by Shoemaker; he underlined the idea of ‘freeze world’ discounting any real changes. It is necessary to stress that the thinker considered the time involving the change not being dependant on reflected trivialities. Shoemaker’s theory is aimed at disclosure of inhabitants’ observations rather than local freezes periodicity; nevertheless, the concept of local freezes is considered to be more intuitive in comparison with unreflective observation. Taking into account the scenario of ABC local freezes, it should be noted that there can be some objections as to this point: 1) the imaginary world inhabitants have lack of reasons for a firm belief in no changes experiencing within the region at the period of ostensible local freeze; 2) the local freeze possibility leads to extrapolating legitimacy covering local and global freezes. Taking into account the first Shoemaker’s argument, it should be stressed that it is of limited force despite its possible correctness; as to the second idea, it is based on an alternative hypothesis as to the skipping of global freezes. Besides, the thinker investigated the issue of freeze end highlighting the discreteness of time.
‘It is clear that the cause of the change that ends a total freeze cannot be, and cannot be part of, the state of the world in the immediately preceding instant.’ (Shoemaker, 376)
It should be noted that the state of the world in the form of instant at the period of global freeze, appears to be similar to its state before. The work disclosed by Shoemaker expressed the idea of time being continuous or dense; the author supposes that one can believe in the logical impossibility of casualty. It was found out that nothing can happen in the period between the global freeze beginning and its end. So, Shoemaker managed to underline the fact that change is impossible during the period which is required for the completion of the conditions.
…no more plausible than the argument from the fact (if it is one) that it is impossible to verify that two things are exactly equal in length to the conclusion that any two things necessarily differ in length. (Shoemaker, 372)
It is necessary to investigate the relation of ABC model behavior to space-time physical accounts; most thinkers analyzed this aspect through relativity. They stressed the point that space-time is considered to be referred to as the entity having independent existence from all the possible physical processes serving the background… Besides, there exist a number of space-times possessing no pathological features and satisfying the general relativity field equations.
Counter Argument
It is necessary to stress that the theory of local hastening description can have much practical value rather than that of local freeze. The thinker strived to provide the prediction of time without change; he was not eager to prove the time without any change but to show that the periods can pass without any challenges periodically. It is necessary to underline the idea the philosophical expressions as to the level of time and change concepts interconnection are still arguable because neither of the thinkers managed to prove their theories on perfect grounds. The analysis of such concepts is to be based on the deep understanding of the concepts themselves; one should consider the way time and change are interconnected in order to realize the level of their interdependence.
Argument Support
It is necessary to underline the fact that the dominant part of Shoemaker’s work is dedicated to defending against the point as to the impossibility of ‘action at a temporal distance’ principle, disclosing the idea that nothing can lead to the total freeze end. Taking into account the position that nothing changes at the period of total freeze, one should stress that there is nothing immediate in the ABC state before the freeze end being in the state of ABC at the very freeze start. So, in the case of ABC property constituting sufficient cause till the freeze ended, ABC is to possess the same property at the beginning of the year possessing sufficient cause to the freeze ends. Nevertheless, allowing the possibility of the end of a freeze being caused by ABC state not prior to the event, one can have no troubles in the identification of the freeze ends. The analysis of time against change on the basis of ‘action at a temporal distance’ is considered to be counter-intuitive reflecting the natural science advances in the delayed causation explanation through the temporally contiguous events. The analysis of Shoemaker is concentrated on the investigation of the total freeze end requirements, needing no actions provided at a temporal distance; nevertheless, there are some troubles connected with the real nature of the changes.
Conclusion
Time and Change analysis appeared to be a deep philosophical point that has an arguable position in the sphere of social science. It is necessary to underline the fact that Shoemaker’s theoretical point provided some support to the possibility of time existence without any change, though this phenomenon is characterized through periodical nature. The thinker strived to concentrated on the principle of total freeze and highlighted he proves through the ABC method. It should be noted that his relationship between time and change appeared not to be based on changeless time intervals on the basis of occurrence investigation.
Nevertheless, the problem is still open to discussion, because it is almost impossible to understand the meaning of time in case it is not followed by any change.
References
Shoemaker, S. Time Without Change. Journal of Philosophy 66 (12):363-381. 1969.