(this is a provisional syllabus, and will be adjusted as we go along)
Week Lecture Title Required Readings
1 Jan 11 introduction N/A
2 Jan 18 absolute vs. relational theories I Maudlin, ch. 1;
Leibniz-Clarke: Correspondence, letters 1 to 3 & replies;
+ Appendices A and B
3 Jan 25 absolute vs. relational theories II Maudlin, ch. 2;
Leibniz-Clarke: Correspondence, letters 4 & 5 & replies;
Arthur: “Newton and Leibniz on the relativity of motion”.
4 Feb 1 classical spacetime Maudlin, ch. 3;
Arthur: “Space and Relativity in Newton and Leibniz”;
5 Feb 8 space and time in special relativity Maudlin: chs. 4 and 5;
DiSalle: Space and Time: Inertial Frames.
————— Feb 15-22 Midterm Recess—————
6 Feb 22 general relativity Maudlin, chs. 6, 7;
Ryckman: Early Philosophical Interpretations of General Relativity.
7 Feb 29 time in classical philosophy Arthur, RTF, prospectus, ch. 1 (—
click them! these are active links)!
8 Mar 7 becoming in classical physics Arthur, RTF, ch. 1 cont. + chapter 2 here;
Maudlin, "Remarks on the Passing of Time", Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, New Series, Vol. 102 (2002), pp. 259-274. Available through the library electronic resources.
9 Mar 14 relativity and the lapse of time Arthur, RTF, chapter 3 here.
10 Mar 21 relativity and the present Arthur, "Minkowski Spacetime and the Dimensions of the Present" here;
chapter 4 draft (in process).
11 Mar 28 time in general relativity Arthur, RTF, ch. 5—here;
Savitt, Being and Becoming in Modern Physics" here. The article I linked here, by Earman and Wüthrich, Time Machines, is without doubt too technical. Slightly less technical is this one by Arntzenius and Maudlin. (I do not expect you to pick up more than the general idea from those two SEP entries.)
12 Apr 4 becoming in quantum theory Arthur, RTF, ch. 6 (in process);
Tim Folger,"Time May Not Exist", Wayne Myrvold, "Relativistic Quantum Becoming", and let's finish with John Norton, "Time Really Passes". The first and third are easy reading; the second, more technical, but very clear in the prose parts.