Lorentz Ether Theory (LET) supplies a universal frame of rest (what we call causal rest). It reproduces the empirical predictions of Special Relativity (time dilation, length contraction, etc.) but interprets them as effects of motion relative to that frame.
Presentism is the metaphysical view that only the present exists: the past has passed, the future is open. Pairing LET with presentism is natural: the universal frame provides a single, shared Now across space. You keep relativity’s measurements while avoiding the block-universe picture.
Why Special Relativity Seems to Reject It
The relativity of simultaneity suggests there is no frame-independent way to say what is “now” at a distance—hence the block-universe reading. LET answers by positing a hidden but physically meaningful preferred frame: simultaneity and the present are defined relative to that frame, even if not directly observable in every experiment.
How LET Makes Space for Presentism
- Universal frame: defines a single, global notion of simultaneity (a shared Now).
- Same empirical wins as SR: time dilation & length contraction follow from motion relative to the frame.
- No block universe: the future is open; the world unfolds through the present.
Quick Answers
So… is LET presentism?
Strictly, LET is a physical framework. Pairing it with presentism adds a metaphysical thesis: the universal frame grounds a single Now. Together they form a coherent view—often called a Lorentzian presentism.
Does this contradict Special Relativity?
No. Observable predictions remain the same; the difference is interpretive: LET posits a preferred frame underlying those observations.
Why care?
It preserves the lived reality of a universal present and the openness of the future—keeping physics and free will in the same conversation.
Now is REAL!
Presentism: the universal Now at the heart of reality.