Yi-Cheng Lin is a Ph.D. student at the University of Toronto. He is interested in metaphysics and the history of philosophy. He spends a lot of time thinking about time. In general, for most x, he is interested in the metaphysics of x. He also enjoys reading metaethics, epistemology, ancient Greek/Roman philosophy, and Chinese philosophy.
What excites you about philosophy?
Growing up in a temple, I was surrounded by many profound philosophical questions, such as those concerning death and the nature of God. These discussions were fascinating, and I cherished the moments when I listened to my grandparents discussing these issues with their friends. At the time, however, I did not realize that these questions belonged in the realm of philosophy. It was not until I took a course on the history of Western philosophy in college that I realized this. That course awakened a latent desire in me to explore philosophical questions more deeply.
Nowadays, I find immense joy in pondering questions like “What is X?” and “Why is X the case?” I can spend days thinking about such questions. When I arrive at my answers, or even when I am unable to find an answer, I delve into the works of other philosophers who have grappled with similar questions. Those philosophers who agree with my views help me to refine and clarify my positions, while those who challenge my perspective introduce me to aspects I may not have considered before. I’m fascinated by the whole process of formulating a question, considering it, and then defending an answer.
Fortunately, the world is full of topics that can be inserted into the “X” in the question at hand. This wide range of philosophical topics ensures that I will always be enthusiastic about the pursuit of philosophy.
What 3 items would you take to a desert island other than food and water?
If I were to be placed on a desert island with an ample supply of food and water, I would choose to bring The Complete Works of Plato, The Complete Works of Aristotle, and The Critique of Pure Reason. While a laptop might be appealing, the lack of a charger and Wi-Fi would render it useless in the long run. In fact, I have pondered this question since childhood, and my answers have changed many times as I have grown older. However, my answer above has remained the same for many years, leading me to believe that it reflects my true preference.
If you could have a one-hour conversation with any philosopher or historical figure from any time, who would you pick and what topic would you choose?
My choice would undoubtedly be Aristotle. A discussion with him about his metaphysics and contemporary metaphysics would be an exciting and intellectually stimulating experience. During our discussion, I will present various modern interpretations of his metaphysical theories and ask for his thoughts on whether he agrees or disagrees with them. I am also eager to introduce him to contemporary metaphysics. I am curious to hear his thoughts on how these ideas agree or disagree with his theories. In addition, I would like to know if he recognizes any advances in metaphysics and how his contributions have influenced future generations of philosophers.
What are you working on right now?
My recent work has focused primarily on the philosophy of time, where I have two distinct projects. The first is devoted to finding an optimal way to characterize the passage of time. I believe that time genuinely passes in reality. Many theorists of time have attempted to characterize the passage of time, but their theories often face objections. One objection is that characterizing the passage of time requires positing a second temporal dimension (hypertime), but when time passes, hypertime passes. This leads to an infinite regress. My paper, “Time and Time Again” argues that hypertime does not necessarily share the same temporal ontology as time. That is, it is possible that time passes, but hypertime doesn’t. Based on this, the regress is stopped. Even if this particular challenge is solved, others still linger. Objections regarding how fast time passes, why time passes, and the infamous Frozen World Objection all require critical attention. I’m now developing a theory of temporal passage that captures the passage of time and avoids all these objections.
The second project I’m working on concerns the knowledge of time. We can confidently assert that we have knowledge of the past, but what about the future? Does such knowledge exist, and if so, how do we acquire it? Many philosophers have explained how we acquire knowledge of the future, and how this process differs from how we acquire knowledge of the past. A fascinating question then arises: Is there any problem with them being different? Since they are all knowledge about time, it seems that they should not be different.
After I ponder these interesting questions, I am drawn to explore the intriguing puzzle that emerges. It seems that we can have certain knowledge about the future, but as time passes, we don’t seem to have relevant knowledge about the past. For example, my dog eats dinner at 6 p.m. every day, and I have this future knowledge at 5 p.m. (This future knowledge may come from induction.) Subsequently, when I am asked at 7:00 p.m. if my dog has eaten dinner, I hesitate to confidently answer, “Yes, he has,” and instead choose to say, “Probably he has.” This phenomenon raises a profound question: If I have knowledge of the future at 5 p.m., shouldn’t I also have knowledge of the past at 7 p.m.? After all, no evidence is lost in the meantime. These are the issues I’m working on these days.
What do you like to do outside work?
When I’m not focused on my studies, I like to spend my free time playing video games and watching videos. I have a wide range of interests, including Japanese anime, Taiwanese, Korean, and American dramas, all of which offer their own unique and valuable experiences.
What would your childhood self say if someone told you that you would grow up to be a philosopher?
Can I cast a spell?
What’s your poison? (Favorite drink.)
Sun Moon Lake black tea.
This section of the APA Blog is designed to get to know our fellow philosophers a little better. We’re including profiles of APA members that spotlight what captures their interest not only inside the office, but also outside of it. We’d love for you to be a part of it, so please contact us via the interview nomination form here to nominate yourself or a friend.
Alexis LaBar has a Master’s degree in Philosophy from West Chester University of Pennsylvania. Before attending West Chester, she graduated from Moravian University with a Bachelor’s in Philosophy, a minor in Global Religions, and an Ethics certificate. She is the recipient of the 2022 Claghorn Award in Philosophy, awarded by West Chester University, and the 2021 Douglas Anderson Prize in Philosophy, awarded by Moravian University. She is the Editor of the Teaching Beat and Work/Life Balance Beat.
