Skip to content
Carmelics
TopicsThinkersChangesContributorsLoading account…

    Carmelics

    A reasoning platform. Break down any belief into clear reasons, explore both sides, and weigh the evidence honestly.

    Navigate

    • Topics
    • Search
    • Recent Changes
    • Contribute
    • How It Works
    • Glossary
    • Thinkers
    • Contributors
    • About
    • Statistics
    • Terms
    • Privacy

    Database

    Statements
    —
    Perspectives
    —
    Topics
    —

    Press ? for keyboard shortcuts

    LoyalLoyalJusticeJustice
    Made withinDC&Austin
    Flux does not necessarily exclude the possibility of past... — Carmelics
    Statements
    321,452
    Perspectives
    108,905
    Topics
    42
    Home/Philosophy of Language
    HistoryEditSee Inverse

    Flux does not necessarily exclude the possibility of past-tense or tenseless statements about a changing world

    Philosophy of LanguageTruth & Knowledge
    ?Rate how convincing each reason is below to see the overall strength.
    2 reasons for
    1 reason against

    Reasons For

    2 perspectives
    Reason for 1 of 2
    ?
    • 1.Heraclitean flux, as interpreted by Cratylus, entails that no stable referent exists long enough for any linguistic act—including past-tense utterances—to successfully latch onto it.
      ?

      Think about whether this reason is strong or weak

    • 2.If the referent of 'Item X at t1' is itself constituted by flux, then the act of identifying 'Item X' already presupposes a stability that radical flux denies.
      ?

      Think about whether this reason is strong or weak

    • 3.McDowell's reading of the Theaetetus shows that the Heraclitean must deny even momentary identity, collapsing the anchor points that tensed or tenseless statements require.
      ?

      Think about whether this reason is strong or weak

    Reason for 2 of 2
    ?
    • 1.Quine's ontological relativity demonstrates that individuating objects across times requires a background framework of sortal predicates, which flux ontologies systematically undermine.
      ?

      Think about whether this reason is strong or weak

    • 2.Without stable sortals, the phrase 'Item X between t1 and t2' names no coherent continuant, rendering past-tense truth conditions indeterminate rather than stably true.
      ?

      Think about whether this reason is strong or weak

    Reasons Against

    1 perspective
    Reason against
    ?
    • 1.A language with stable meanings and the ability to make temporal distinctions is sufficient to describe an ever-changing world
      ?

      Think about whether this reason is strong or weak

    • 2.Past-tense statements like 'Item X flowed into item Y between t1 and t2' can remain stably true even under flux
      ?

      Think about whether this reason is strong or weak

    • 3.Tenseless statements like 'Item X is present at t1, item Y is present at t2' can remain stably true even under flux
      ?

      Think about whether this reason is strong or weak

    Sign in or register to share your perspective on this statement.

    Next step

    Based on where you are in your exploration

    Strongest counterpoint
    Explore the most compelling reason on the other side.

    Topics

    Philosophy of LanguageTruth & Knowledge

    Related

    A language with stable meanings and the ability to make temporal distinctions is...Heraclitean flux, as interpreted by Cratylus, entails that no stable referent ex...If the referent of 'Item X at t1' is itself constituted by flux, then the act of...McDowell's reading of the Theaetetus shows that the Heraclitean must deny even m...
    +4 moreShow less
    Past-tense statements like 'Item X flowed into item Y between t1 and t2' can rem...Quine's ontological relativity demonstrates that individuating objects across ti...Tenseless statements like 'Item X is present at t1, item Y is present at t2' can...Without stable sortals, the phrase 'Item X between t1 and t2' names no coherent ...

    Similar

    The phrase refers to Los Angeles with respect to the present state of ...76%The phrase 'as much as exists in the past, present and future' in the ...76%The Hopi language does have tense75%Their arguments explain why present-tense claims become unstable under...75%

    Source

    AI-extracted1/3 agreementValid
    SEP: plato-theaetetus
    View source passageHide passage
    McDowell’s and Sayre’s versions of the argument also face the following objection. It is obvious how, given flux, a present-tense claim like “Item X is present” can quickly cease to be true, because e.g., “Item Y is present” comes to replace it. But it isn’t obvious why flux should exclude the possibility of past-tense statements like “Item X flowed into item Y between t1 and t2,” or of tenseless statements like “Item X is present at t1, item Y is present at t2.” As Bostock 1988: 105–6 points ou
    Extraction notes

    Validity: Extracted via Max plan + API grounding/validity checks

    Details

    Type
    claim
    Perspectives
    3 (2 for, 1 against)
    Edits
    1 edit