Abstract
The "old B theory" of time is an ontological-semantic thesis, according to which it is possible to eliminate, via a method of logical paraphrase, the belief that objects and events transit in time. This doctrine had its eminent defenders in the 20th century, such as Goodman (1940, 1951), Reichenbach (1947) and Smart (1949, 1963). Today, however, many believe that this position is untenable, and that it should be replaced by a "new B theory" of time, for which the idea of temporal movement, without having any real ontological significance, would be an irreducible aspect of language and our cognition. In this presentation, I shall seek to challenge this received assertion. The aim is to lay the groundwork for a defense of the old B-theory of time, particularly in its "token-reflexive" variant.
