Abstract
The standard picture of time is that of a linear series. This appears not only in ordinary conceptions but is assumed in a great portion of physics. The absolute time of Newtonian physics is a one-dimensional linear continuum; even in relativistic physics the ordering of “local” time series is linear. In terms of the relation U of temporal precedence, this means that the temporal order in such conceptions satisfies the requirement both of transitivity:
and connectedness:
To conform to standard usage, we shall use < throughout this chapter instead of U, to indicate that the specifically linear case is involved, so that we can rewrite the above as:
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© 1971 Springer-Verlag/Wien
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Rescher, N., Urquhart, A. (1971). Linear Time: The System K l and Its Variants. In: Temporal Logic. LEP Library of Exact Philosophy, vol 3. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-7664-1_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-7664-1_8
Publisher Name: Springer, Vienna
Print ISBN: 978-3-7091-7666-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-7091-7664-1
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