Open future, supervaluationism and the growing-block theory: a stage-theoretical account

Abstract

I present a 'stage-theoretical' interpretation of the supervaluationist semantics for the growing-block theory of time according to which the 'nodes' on the branching tree of historical possibilities are taken to be possible stages of the growth of the growing-block. As I will argue, the resulting interpretation (i) is very intuitive, (ii) can easily ward off an objection to supervaluationist treatments of the growing-block theory presented by Fabrice Correia and Sven Rosenkranz, and (iii) is also not saddled by the problems affecting the supervaluationist version of the growing-block theory defended by Rachel Briggs and Graham Forbes.

Keywords: A-theory; Future contingents; Growing-block theory; Indeterminacy; Open future; Supervaluationism; Temporal passage; Truth-value gaps.