Fixity and the Future: A Forward-Looking Account

Abstract

It is standard to distinguish between events that are metaphysically fixed for a given agent at a given time, and events that are not fixed (or open). Fixed events constrain actions and omissions: the agent cannot perform any action that is incompatible with fixed events, and cannot refrain from performing any actions that are entailed by fixed events. While traditionally the distinction is explained in temporal terms - past events are fixed and future events open - recent work convincingly argues that it should be understood in causal terms instead, with striking consequences for time travellers and their freedom. We propose a new causal account of fixity - a 'forwards-looking account' - and argue that it has several predictive and explanatory advantages over its backwards-looking rivals. We conclude that if you adopt a causal account of fixity, you should be forward-looking.