Ateneo - UPO

Does time really flow? Is the future already written? Are time travels possible? This course is an introduction to the contemporary philosophical debate surrounding these questions.

The bibliography is the same for both attending and non-attending students:

1. Iaquinto S., Torrengo G. 2018. Filosofia del Futuro. Un'Introduzione. Raffaello Cortina (excluding chapter 3).
2. Torrengo G. 2011. I Viaggi nel Tempo. Una Guida Filosofica. Laterza.

The basic learning objective is to acquire knowledge of the key themes in contemporary philosophy of time, with a particular focus on theories regarding the future and time travel.

A more advanced learning objective is to argue in favour of or against the theories covered in the course, mastering their technical details, and identifying their strengths and weaknesses.

No prior knowledge of the course topics is required.

Lectures focused on interactive participation.

The course takes place entirely in the first semester. For notices and updates, subscribe to its DIR page. For any questions, do not hesitate to contact me at: samuele.iaquinto@uniupo.it.

Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/services-students-physical-or-learning-disabilities

Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to me to define the examination modalities and teaching aspects.

Oral examination, lasting no more than 30 minutes, to assess the achievement of the Learning Objectives and the Intended Learning Outcomes. The grading will be based 30% on the understanding of the notions covered in the course, 30% on independent critical thinking, 20% on clarity of exposition, and 20% on mastery of scientific terminology. The ability to establish rigorous and original connections between the course topics is essential to achieve top marks (30 e lode).

1. Does time really flow?
1.1. Temporal ontologies.
1.2. Static universe vs dynamic universe.
1.3. How do we know that we are in the present?

2. Is the future already written?
2.1. Linear time vs branching time.
2.2. Static future vs dynamic future.
2.3. Possible worlds and divergence models.

3. Are time travels possible?
3.1. The physics of time travel.
3.2. Time travel paradoxes.
3.3. Travelling the multiverse.

The level of depth of each module may vary depending on the interests that emerge during the course.

At the basic level, the intended learning outcomes are:

1. Knowledge and understanding: to gain familiarity with the key notions of philosophy of time;
2. Applying knowledge and understanding: to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed theories;
3. Making judgements: to develop well-reasoned opinions on the course topics;
4. Communication skills: to clearly describe the main lines of the contemporary debate;
5. Learning skills: to explore on your own some basic topics of the contemporary research.

At an advanced level, the intended learning outcomes are:

1. Knowledge and understanding: to understand the technical details of philosophy of time;
2. Applying knowledge and understanding: to assess the efficacy of technical details in addressing the main questions about time;
3. Making judgments: to use advanced technical notions to develop well-reasoned opinions on the course topics;
4. Communication skills: to clearly explain the technical details even to those unfamiliar with philosophy of time;
5. Learning skills: to explore on your own some technical topics of the contemporary debate.