Self-existing objects and auto-generated information in chronology-violating space-times: A philosophical discussion

Abstract

Closed time-like curves naturally appear in a variety of chronology-violating space-times. In these space-times, the Principle of Self-Consistency demands an harmony between local and global affairs that excludes grandfather-like paradoxes. However, self-existing objects trapped in CTCs are not seemingly avoided by the standard interpretation of this principle, usually constrained to a dynamical framework. In this paper we discuss whether we are committed to accept an ontology with self-existing objects if CTCs actually occur in the universe. In addition, the epistemological status of the Principle of Self-Consistency is analyzed and a discussion on the information flux through CTCs is presented.