Hume and Heptapods: Alternate Experiences of Time
Faculty Mentor
Kevin Decker
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Start Date
4-14-2026 9:20 AM
End Date
4-14-2026 9:40 AM
Location
PUB 323
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Philosophy
Abstract
This paper examines the philosophical implications of altering human time perception in fiction to evaluate the philosopher David Hume’s account of causation and temporal perception. Hume’s skepticism regarding cause and effect challenges the reliability of inductive reasoning and posed difficulties for both the scientific and theological explanations of reality in his day. This analysis draws on the representation of non-linear temporal perception presented in the 1998 novella “Story of Your Life” by Ted Chiang, later adapted into the film Arrival. The paper introduces a hypothetical change from the familiar linear model humans experience to a non-linear framework theorized by Ted Chiang and explores its impact on the understanding of cause and effect. Through this thought experiment, the paper investigates whether Hume’s concepts of causation and temporal perception transcend human modes of perception, and whether a non-linear experience of time exposes limitations of or vindicates his philosophical framework.
Recommended Citation
McGlade, Grant, "Hume and Heptapods: Alternate Experiences of Time" (2026). 2026 Symposium. 2.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2026/op_2026/o4_2026/2
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Hume and Heptapods: Alternate Experiences of Time
PUB 323
This paper examines the philosophical implications of altering human time perception in fiction to evaluate the philosopher David Hume’s account of causation and temporal perception. Hume’s skepticism regarding cause and effect challenges the reliability of inductive reasoning and posed difficulties for both the scientific and theological explanations of reality in his day. This analysis draws on the representation of non-linear temporal perception presented in the 1998 novella “Story of Your Life” by Ted Chiang, later adapted into the film Arrival. The paper introduces a hypothetical change from the familiar linear model humans experience to a non-linear framework theorized by Ted Chiang and explores its impact on the understanding of cause and effect. Through this thought experiment, the paper investigates whether Hume’s concepts of causation and temporal perception transcend human modes of perception, and whether a non-linear experience of time exposes limitations of or vindicates his philosophical framework.
