A recent book by Emily Thomas, a historian of philosophy, looks at four different theories about the reality and significance of time advanced by philosophers in Britain in the seventeenth century. Her breakdown is this: there was a "void theory," "idealism," "absolutism," and "relationalism." The terms are pretty close to self-explanatory, but I'll spell it out anyway. The void theory: there is no time. Idealism: time is real, and consists of mind-dependent relations. The remaining two may each come under the broader folder "realism," in that they both hold that time is real and it is not mind dependent. But they are importantly different from one another. Absolutism: time is independent of the actions of material bodies -- that is, time could be passing even if every object were staying still. Relationalism: time is real, independent of mind, but dependent on the actions of material bodies. The Absolutist view...
