eternalalismin

Eternalism, also known as the block universe theory, is a philosophical view on the nature of time. It posits that all points in time, past, present, and future, are equally real and exist simultaneously. From this perspective, time is not a flowing river but rather a static, four-dimensional block. Events do not "happen" in a temporal sense; they simply exist at their designated coordinates within this block.

This view contrasts with presentism, which holds that only the present moment is real, and the past is gone while the future has not yet come into being. Eternalism suggests that our perception of time's passage is an illusion, a consequence of our consciousness moving through this already existing temporal landscape. From a higher, timeless perspective, the entire history of the universe, from its beginning to its end, is laid out.

The concept of eternalism has significant implications for free will and determinism. If all future events are as real and fixed as past events, it raises questions about whether our choices are truly free or if they are predetermined aspects of the block universe. While many find this notion counterintuitive, it is a perspective that arises from certain interpretations of physics, particularly Einstein's theory of relativity, which treats time as a dimension akin to space.