Change, temporal qualification, fragmentation

It is a truism that things undergo qualitative change. All traditional accounts of what qualitative change consists in involve some form of temporal qualification, even though it is a matter of controversy which elements of reality are supposed to be affected by it and how deep it runs. This paper examines an alternative approach that is opposed to temporal qualification across the board: hyper-atemporalism. It has been argued recently that hyper-atemporalism, when combined with a fragmentalist metaphysics of temporal reality, delivers the most robust account of genuine qualitative change. This paper argues in response that a view of this kind not only fails in this regard but actually renders qualitative change impossible.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Synthese
Published
2026-01-26
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-025-05434-4
Primary Topic
Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Change, temporal qualification, fragmentation

Bahadir Eker
Synthese
Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy
article

Change, temporal qualification, fragmentation

Bahadir Eker
article en

Abstract

It is a truism that things undergo qualitative change. All traditional accounts of what qualitative change consists in involve some form of temporal qualification, even though it is a matter of controversy which elements of reality are supposed to be affected by it and how deep it runs. This paper examines an alternative approach that is opposed to temporal qualification across the board: hyper-atemporalism. It has been argued recently that hyper-atemporalism, when combined with a fragmentalist metaphysics of temporal reality, delivers the most robust account of genuine qualitative change. This paper argues in response that a view of this kind not only fails in this regard but actually renders qualitative change impossible.

SyntheseVol. 207(2)
Universität Hamburg (DE)
Reduced inequalities
Openalex Percentile: Top 81%
Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.