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Summary Of ' The Unreality Of Time '

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In 1908, in a paper published in Mind 17: 457-73, McTaggart chose to put forth an argument that time does not exist. The paper, titled The Unreality of Time, pushes the argument that our description of time is either contradictory, circular or insufficient, thus making it not real. McTaggart’s proof of this is his explanation of the A-series and the B-series, two descriptions of time suggested by McTaggart. Before detailing which series of time best represents the nature of time, it is appropriate to explain the A-series and the B-series.
According to McTaggart, the two ways of interpreting time are classified as the A series and B series. The A series, McTaggart believes, orders times that run from the far past through the near past to the present, and then from the present through the near future through the far future. The B series, McTaggart believes, is each position is earlier than some or later than some of the other positions. McTaggart states that the B series alone is not sufficient enough to establish time, since time involves change and the B series only deals with earlier than or later than.
The debate between A theorists and B theorists is strong. Having just given the explanation, it is my opinion that the A and B theory are both necessary for explaining time. We cannot deny that the present exists. We live in it. To accept only that the B series is a good explanation of time would suggest that the future is in a fixed state, essentially suggesting that I

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