Michael Dummett, Reasons to Act, and Bringing About the Past

Abstract

My intention in this paper is to outline and criticise some of the main ideas in Michael Dummett's classic article "Bringing about the Past". From Dummett's remarks we can (I think) reconstruct two sceptical arguments designed to show that it can never be rational to attempt to bring about past events. Dummett is critical of both arguments. Though happy with Dummett's reply to the first sceptical argument, I disagree with his reply to the second. Show more