Graeme’s work in the philosophy of time involves thinking about how our practical activity is directed towards the future. We plan for the future and reconcile ourselves to the past, we fear what is to come and wist for what might have been, we procrastinate and we forget.
Graeme is interested in the metaphysical implications of these practices, but also how metaphysical debates can influence our practices. This brings in virtue theory, metaethics, and philosophy of action. How might work on persistence help individuals and communities deal with change as time passes, and how might relations with past or future generations differ from relations to our contemporaries a long way away? Similarly, how might virtue theory be useful in regulating inquiry and shaping our ability to respond to what’s valuable as we and the world we live in change?