Events, Topology and Temporal Relations
Fabio Pianesi, Achille C. Varzi · The Monist · 1996
this paper we present an alternative account, based primarily on the basic network of formal ontological relations---specifically, mereological and topological relations---that a domain of events must arguably satisfy. The motivations for this approach are quite general and lie beyond the specific issue of temporal constructions. Among other things, we also believe it may shed light on the first question above. In the following, however, we shall not go much beyond the main issue that we just outlined; our only concern will be to show how mereological and topological reasoning---which we take to be among the basic tools for ontological analysis---provides adequate grounds for the construction of temporal relations.