Abstract

_Time_ is the ultimate basis of whatever accounts for _temporal differentiation_, the world going from one way (at one moment) to a different way (at a distinct moment). A main purpose of this work is to propound an account of the _metaphysics of time_, a critical account of what time is and its role in structuring reality. The phenomenon of _change_ is key to an account of the metaphysics of time, so the chapter elucidates this phenomenon. Although time and _moments_ are essentially related, they are distinct things. The chapter presents an account of time per se and moments per se, discussing some of their significant qualities, and proposes a theoretical framework for the metaphysics of time. The genuine controversies in the metaphysics of time are not about time itself; rather, they are about _temporal reality_, the structure of things in the world given the existence of time.