The future does not exist until it happens

Space · Published 27 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Most of us view the future as a destination we are traveling toward. But what if that path isn't already laid out? Philosopher Michael Tooley suggests a reality where the future is entirely non-existent, only coming into being at the exact moment causes bring it into focus.

The 'growing block theory' regarding time is championed by Michael Tooley, who serves as a Professor of Philosophy (Emeritus Distinguished) at Colorado Boulder University. This metaphysical framework challenges the common intuition that the future is a pre-existing landscape of events waiting to be discovered. Instead, it posits a distinct ontological status for different points in time: the past and the present are real, while the future is not.

Under this view, reality is like a growing block of ice. The 'past' consists of the frozen parts that have already occurred; the 'present' is the leading edge where new material is constantly being added. Consequently, the future does not possess any existence whatsoever until it is actually realized. It only enters the realm of reality as events are caused to occur.

This perspective has significant implications for our understanding of causality and free will. If the future were already real, it would imply a deterministic universe where every outcome is fixed. By arguing that the future comes into existence only through causation, Tooley aligns with a non-reductionist approach to how events unfold. His work on this subject, notably in 'Time, Tense, and Causation,' explores these fundamental questions of metaphysics and the nature of reality.

Tooley's expertise spans several decades of research, including his time at the Australian National University and the University of Western Australia before joining CU Boulder in 1992. His career-long investigation into laws of nature and causation provides a rigorous academic foundation for these deep questions about whether our lives are unfolding in an open void or following a pre-written script.

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