Lendurantisme

Endurantism, often termed the endurance theory, is a position in the philosophy of time about how objects persist through time. According to endurantism, objects are wholly present at every moment of their existence and do not have temporal parts. A statue, a tree, or a person that exists from one time to another is the same three-dimensional object at each moment, persisting by remaining intact rather than by being divided into different temporal slices. Change over time is explained by the properties and relations of the object varying across time, not by the object having different time-stretched parts.

Endurantism stands in contrast to perdurantism (four-dimensionalism), which holds that objects are extended in time and possess temporal parts or stages. Under perdurantism, the statue would be composed of distinct temporal parts at different times, joined to form the whole object across its lifespan.

Common discussions around endurantism address how to treat temporary intrinsics—the notion that some properties appear time-dependent, such as being tall at an instant or being in a particular relational position. Proponents argue that temporal properties can be intrinsic to the object at a given time or that identity over time is secured by causal continuity and the persistence of the same substance. Critics contend that certain cases of rapid change or property variation pose difficulties for a wholly instantaneous, non-extended view.

Endurantism remains a central option in debates on persistence, personal identity, and the metaphysics of time, with extensive dialogue and refinement in contemporary philosophy. In French-language discussions, the term is often rendered as l’endurantisme.