Conceptual and Metaphysical Origins and Relevance of Temporal Logic

Logic has sometimes been seen as an alternative to metaphysics and to speculation. In this paper it is argued that a different story should be told when it comes to temporal logic and tense-logic in particular. A. N. Prior's first formulation of tense logic was mainly established in order to qualify the discussion of certain metaphysical and conceptual problems. Although temporal logic has now been developed in various abstract and rather technical ways, it may still serve as a great help for anyone who wants to clarify the discussion of important existential questions like the nature of time, determinism, future contingency or freedom of choice.