ABSTRACT
In Chapter 4, I introduce and address the first metaphysical problem facing presentism: presentists apparently cannot account for the existence of structured singular propositions about wholly past entities, since the obvious constituents of such structured propositions (the past entities) do not exist, given presentism. I use my thisness ontology to respond directly to the problem. I say that (structured) singular propositions about past entities are partly constituted by presently existing thisnesses of past entities (not the past entities themselves). My thisness approach to propositions is similar to one anticipated by Ned Markosian, who develops objections to this sort of approach. In this chapter, I defend my solution and reply to each of Markosian’s objections.
