tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891434218564545511.post8264954993539847733..comments2024-03-28T13:23:50.623-05:00Comments on Alexander Pruss's Blog: Why my present existence can't depend on future eventsAlexander R Prusshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05989277655934827117noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891434218564545511.post-37152959715342230512017-10-20T13:44:15.764-05:002017-10-20T13:44:15.764-05:00The argument is only plausible for things that are...The argument is only plausible for things that are prior to their parts. Nations aren't.Alexander R Prusshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05989277655934827117noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891434218564545511.post-22185405130600595792017-10-20T12:21:58.946-05:002017-10-20T12:21:58.946-05:00Pruss: I'm curious... Does four-dimensionalism...Pruss: I'm curious... Does four-dimensionalism really rule out a directionality to causation? If not, and if (2) follows from causation being future-directed, I don't see a problem with a four-dimensionalist affirming (2).Michael Gonzalezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05279261871735286117noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891434218564545511.post-47242718594396008202017-10-20T12:19:34.158-05:002017-10-20T12:19:34.158-05:00Heath: Would such a declaration really make it the...Heath: Would such a declaration really make it the case that Catalonia has been independent since Jan 1? I hope no one really thinks that's the case. All it can really effect is that certain reparations or other such effects might need to go into place in the future <i>as if</i> Catalonia had been independent all along and their independence wasn't being respected. No one thinks they can change the <i>actual</i> fact that one day ago (never mind 10 months ago) it simply was not the case that Catalonia was independent.Michael Gonzalezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05279261871735286117noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891434218564545511.post-73269030039618959342017-10-20T11:53:39.677-05:002017-10-20T11:53:39.677-05:00I can imagine a political declaration of independ...I can imagine a political declaration of independence that was retroactive: say Catalonia decides to declare itself independent as of Jan 1 2017. (And imagine whatever legal apparatus is necessary to make this effective.) Then facts about whether a country exists could depend on future declarations of independence.<br /><br />Objection: Ok, but persons are more real/fundamental than countries. They don't come into existence by declaration. <br /><br />Reply 1: Well, that's one theory of personhood. But if persons are bundles of perception (or whatever) then there could be a similar story.<br /><br />Reply 2: if the argument works, it seems it should work for countries or anything else too. Heath Whitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13535886546816778688noreply@blogger.com