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Philosophical Themes of Time Perception in Arrival

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Arrival
Directed byDenis Villeneuve
Screenplay byEric Heisserer
Based on"Story of Your Life"
by Ted Chiang
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyBradford Young
Edited byJoe Walker
Music byJóhann Jóhannsson
Production
companies
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release dates
  • September 1, 2016 (2016-09-01) (Venice)
  • November 11, 2016 (2016-11-11) (United States)
Running time
116 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$47 million[2]
Box office$203.4 million[3]

The 2016 science fiction film Arrival, directed by Denis Villeneuve and based on Ted Chiang's novella Story of Your Life, explores philosophical questions surrounding time perception and determinism. Through the alien species known as the Heptapods, the film introduces a nonlinear conception of time, challenging traditional notions of temporality, free will, and causality. The interplay between language, cognition, and time forms the crux of the narrative.

Nonlinear Time and the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

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A central theme in Arrival is the Heptapods' nonlinear perception of time, represented through their circular logographic writing system, Heptapod B. Unlike human languages, which reflect linear time progression, Heptapod B symbolizes a holistic view where past, present, and future coexist. This linguistic feature is tied to the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, which posits that the structure of a language shapes its speakers' cognition and worldview.

As Dr. Louise Banks learns Heptapod B, she begins to perceive time in the same way, experiencing visions of her future and past simultaneously. This idea is grounded in linguistic relativity, as discussed in Benjamin Lee Whorf's Language, Thought, and Reality ([MIT Press](https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262730068/language-thought-and-reality/)) and Stephen Levinson's Space in Language and Cognition ([Cambridge University Press].

Determinism and Free Will

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The Heptapods’ view of time aligns with the block universe theory, derived from Einstein's theory of relativity, which conceptualizes time as a fourth dimension where all events exist simultaneously. This perspective raises questions about free will: if the future is predetermined, can humans truly exercise choice?

This deterministic view is reminiscent of Pierre-Simon Laplace's Philosophical Essay on Probabilities , which describes a universe governed entirely by causal laws. Similarly, Huw Price explores the implications of a block universe in Time's Arrow and Archimedes' Point ([Oxford University Press](https://global.oup.com/academic/product/times-arrow-and-archimedes-point-9780195117981)). In Arrival, determinism is balanced with existential agency, as Louise chooses to embrace her foreseen future despite knowing the inevitability of personal loss.

Circular Writing and Temporal Holism

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The circular design of Heptapod B reflects the interconnectedness of events, symbolizing the Heptapods' holistic understanding of time. This concept aligns with theories of infinite and cyclical time, as explored in medieval cosmology. Pierre Duhem discusses such ideas in Medieval Cosmology: Theories of Infinity, Place, Time, Void, and the Plurality of Worlds ([University of Chicago Press](https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/M/bo25135603.html)).

Eastern philosophies, particularly those found in Buddhism, also resonate with the film's themes. In Buddhism, time is often viewed as cyclical, with all moments interconnected. Studies exploring Buddhist views of time and their parallels with modern physics include "Buddhist Perspectives on Temporality and Modern Physics".

Implications for Human Understanding

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Arrival challenges viewers to reconsider the nature of time, causality, and human agency. Louise’s transformation demonstrates how a shift in perception—through language—can alter one's understanding of reality. This idea is supported by cognitive studies, such as Schacter et al.’s "Remembering the Past to Imagine the Future" ([Nature Reviews Neuroscience](https://www.nature.com/articles/nrn2213)).

Philosophical underpinnings of temporality are also discussed in Henri Bergson's Time and Free Will ([Internet Archive](https://archive.org/details/timefreewillessa00berg)) and Martin Heidegger’s Being and Time ([Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy](https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/heidegger/)). Similarly, Gregory Benford’s speculative novel Timescape offers a fictional exploration of nonlinear temporality, mirroring some of the film’s themes.

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  • Visualization of spacetime in Einstein's theory of relativity, connected to the block universe theory.
    Visualization of spacetime in Einstein's theory of relativity, connected to the block universe theory.
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  1. ^ "Arrival (12A)". British Board of Film Classification. September 19, 2016. Archived from the original on September 21, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference preview was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Arrival (2016)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on July 20, 2017. Retrieved July 16, 2017.
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