Our understanding of time encompasses two related but clearly separated aspects
which have, famously, been dubbed A- and B-time. A-time focuses on the difference between past, present and future and can thus be characterized as temporal direction; B-time is concerned with temporal order, manifested by the earlier/later relation. The contemporary
debate about A- and B-time is best understood as a question of metaphysical fundamentality. While one sides tries to reduce B-notions to A-notions, the other tries to eliminate A-notions in favor of B-notions.
My project on the metaphysics of time, entitled “dynamicity”, goes one step further. Dynamicity is the ultimate basis for both A- and B-time, and must therefor
be characterized presupposing neither A- nor B-notions. This means, that any kind of multiplicity is ruled out, as this would constitute a form of (temporal) order; and any kind of teleology is ruled out, as this would constitute a form of direction.
The ultimate goal of the project is to reduce A-time to dynamicity and then reduce B-time to A-time. In my talk, I will focus on the first step, as there is already a
debate about the second. I will give an account of dynamicity and outline how to develop A-time from dynamicity. It turns out that the pre-temporal concept of dynamicity is so abstract, that it can be utilized in additional contexts. So to better understand
these concepts, I will end the talk with sketching the dynamicity account of modality.