Two-Dimensional Time: MacBeath's ``Time's Square'' and Special Relativity

Author: King D.

Source: Synthese, Volume 139, Number 3, April 2004 , pp. 421-428(8)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

Murray MacBeath, in his essay ``Time's Square'', describes a fictitious scenario where various physical observations made by the participants would, he claims, invite the interpretation that time for them is two-dimensional. In the present paper, however, I argue that such observations come close to underdetermining the hypothesis of time's twodimensionality; for a rival hypothesis - that, under certain circumstances, the observations can be explained in terms of the familiar time dilation effects predicted by special relativity - almost fits the evidence as well. That is, under certain (albeit artificial) circumstances the world can already behave almost as though it were temporally two-dimensional.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/B:SYNT.0000024890.87641.60

Affiliations: 1: 420 Spencer Road Thornlie Western Australia 6108, Email: drd_king@hotmail.com

Publication date: 2004-04-01