1001Philosophers

John McTaggart 1866 – 1925

John McTaggart (1866 – 1925) was a British philosopher of the Contemporary era, associated with Continental Philosophy.

John McTaggart Ellis McTaggart was a British metaphysician and the leading defender of absolute idealism in early-twentieth-century Cambridge philosophy. A fellow of Trinity College, where his pupils included Bertrand Russell and G. E. Moore, he produced the two-volume Nature of Existence, which argued that the universe is ultimately a society of persons bound together by love. He is best known today for his short paper The Unreality of Time, which distinguished the A-series and B-series of temporal predicates and argued that any coherent account of temporal change requires both, and yet that no such account is possible.

Key facts

Nationality
British
Era
Contemporary
Movements
Continental Philosophy

Selected quotes

  • Attributed to John McTaggart:

    “Time is unreal.”

  • Attributed to John McTaggart:

    “The A-series and the B-series of temporal predicates cannot both be ultimate.”

  • Attributed to John McTaggart:

    “Reality is a society of selves bound together by love.”

  • Attributed to John McTaggart:

    “Philosophy must distinguish appearance from reality.”

  • Attributed to John McTaggart:

    “Selfhood is the most fundamental feature of reality.”

Read all John McTaggart quotes

John McTaggart by topic

Frequently asked about John McTaggart

When did John McTaggart live?
John McTaggart was born in 1866 and died in 1925.
Where was John McTaggart from?
John McTaggart was a British philosopher of the Contemporary era.
What philosophical movements is John McTaggart associated with?
John McTaggart was associated with Continental Philosophy.
What was John McTaggart known for?
John McTaggart Ellis McTaggart was a British metaphysician and the leading defender of absolute idealism in early-twentieth-century Cambridge philosophy.
How many quotes are attributed to John McTaggart?
There are 9 attributed quotations from John McTaggart in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.