This book takes up the question of whether past and future events exist. Two very different views are explored. According to one of these views, presentism, the present is special. According to the alternative view, eternalism, our world is a giant four-dimensional block of spacetime in which all times exist.

Nikk Effingham is Professor at the University of Birmingham where he works on metaphysics and the philosophy of religion. He is the author of Time Travel: Probability and Impossibility (2020) and An Introduction to Ontology (2013).

Kristie Miller is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Sydney, and Joint Director of the interdisciplinary Centre for Time. She works primarily in metaphysics, particularly on the nature of time, persistence, and personal identity. In addition to her articles, she has co-authored several books, including Out of Time (2022), Everyday Metaphysical Explanation (2022) and An Introduction to the Philosophy of Time (2018).

Introduction Part I: Opening Statements 1. In Defence of the Block Universe View 2. In Defense of Presentism Part II First Round of Replies 3. Past and Future Do Not Exist: Reply to Kristie Miller 4. The Past and Future Exist: Reply to Nikk Effingham Part III Second Round of Replies 5. Back to the Block: Reply to Nikk Effingham's Reply 6. Presentism Returns: Reply to Kristie Miller's Reply Suggested Readings Glossary References Index