226 - David Builes: The Metaphysics of Time and Consciousness

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7 David Builes is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Princeton University, where he works in metaphysics and epistemology and has made serious contributions to the philosophies of mind, science, and mathematics. In this episode, Robinson and David discuss the metaphysics of time—including debates about the reality of the past, present, and future—the question of whether science can explain consciousness, and whether numbers exist as abstract objects. David’s Website: https://davidbuiles.com OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction 01:05 David’s Interest in Philosophy 05:47 On the Philosophy of Time 16:01 In Defense of Presentism 24:21 How Long is the Present? 25:58 Humean and Non-Humean Laws 28:02 Can Science Explain Consciousness? 40:25 Does David Believe His Work? 43:32 First-Person Realism 53:18 Is First-Person Realism Correct? 57:42 The Philosophy of Math 01:01:45 Do Numbers Exist? Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, historians, economists, and everyone in-between.