An accessible introduction to the history of the philosophy of time.
Non-technical narrative presentation makes the book suitable for a general readership.

Adrian Bardon`s A Brief History of the Philosophy of Time is a short yet thorough introduction to the history, philosophy, and science of the study of time-from the pre-Socratic philosophers through Einstein and beyond.

Its treatment is roughly chronological, starting with the ancient Greek philosophers Heraclitus and Parmenides and proceeding through the history of Western philosophy and science up to the present.

Using illustrations and keeping technical language to a minimum, A Brief History of the Philosophy of Time covers subjects such as time and change, the experience of time, physical and metaphysical approaches to the nature of time, the direction of time, time-travel, time and freedom of the will, and scientific and philosophical approaches to eternity and the beginning of time. Bardon brings the resources of over 2500 years of philosophy and science to bear on some of humanity`s most fundamental and enduring questions.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO ASK, "WHAT IS TIME?"
CHAPTER ONE: TIME AND CHANGE
CHAPTER TWO: IDEALISM AND EXPERIENCE
CHAPTER THREE: TIME AND SPACETIME
CHAPTER FOUR: DOES TIME PASS?
CHAPTER FIVE: THE ARROW OF TIME
CHAPTER SIX: IS TIME TRAVEL POSSIBLE?
CHAPTER SEVEN: TIME AND FREEDOM
CHAPTER EIGHT: COULD THE UNIVERSE HAVE NO BEGINNING OR END IN TIME?
EPILOGUE: IS "WHAT IS TIME?" THE WRONG QUESTION?

Adrian Bardon is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Wake Forest University, where he teaches courses on the philosophy of space and time and the history of modern philosophy. He is the author of numerous scholarly articles on time and the history of philosophy; he is also the editor of The Future of the Philosophy of Time (2012) and co-editor of the forthcoming A Companion to the Philosophy of Time.