Browsing by Author "Leyman, Marlon"

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    The Argument from Experience for a Dynamic View of Time: A Defence
    (2023-06-20) Leyman, Marlon; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för filosofi, lingvistik och vetenskapsteori; Göteborg University/Department of Philosophy, Linguistics and Theory of Science
    Perhaps the most significant argument in favor of the reality of time's passage is the argument from experience. More or less, this argument says that our experience of the passage of time gives us good reason for considering temporal passage to be objectively real, because assuming time really passes would provide the best explanation for this experience. But the argument from experience has come under heavy fire from multiple angles. It has turned out to be hard to understand what this experience actually is, and many philosophers have wanted to claim that it doesn't provide any actual evidence of objective passage. In this paper, I first examine and try to describe the experience as of time's passage, giving particular attention to the experience of change that is a part of it. I then strive to show how attempts in general (and some attempts in particular) to explain the experience of change away or otherwise dismantle its implications for reality miss the mark and lead to very undesirable consequences. The conclusion is that ultimately, it seems the only or at least the most reasonable way to understand our experiences of change is that dynamism is objectively real.
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    Coherence & Isolation
    (2021-02-12) Leyman, Marlon; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för filosofi, lingvistik och vetenskapsteori; Göteborg University/Department of Philosophy, Linguistics and Theory of Science
    Coherence theories of justification seem to be plagued by a problem of isolation, which says that mere internal coherence within a belief system leaves the system more or less disconnected from reality. Prima facie a system could after all be completely coherent with itself and yet have nothing to do with the world. In this paper I have tried to offer a solution to this problem by introducing so called mediating states, which simply are mental states that mediate between the system and the world by providing input to a greater or lesser extent. I discuss what properties these mediating states should optimally have while examining and comparing three different ways of construing them, offered by Bonjour's cognitively spontaneous beliefs, Kvanvig & Riggs appearance states and Elgin's deliverances. We see that all of these manage to solve the isolation problem to a certain extent, but that they are problematic in some respects. I discuss these problems and finally put forward my own suggestion, which has many similarities to Bonjour's. It amends what seems to be one of its faults and adopts/reformulates its Observation Requirement to a relatively straightforward form. Thereby I think a potential solution to the problem of isolation is provided.