The Direction of Time

The aim of this essay is to introduce philosophers of science to some recent philosophical discussions of the nature and origin of the direction of time. The essay is organized around books by Hans Reichenbach, Paul Horwich, and Huw Price. I outline their major arguments and treat certain critical points in detail. I speculate at the end about the ways in which the subject may continue to develop and in which it may connect with other areas of philosophy.

Epistemology · Philosophy of science · Subject (documents) · Computer Science · Philosophy · Philosophy and History of Science · Quantum Mechanics and Applications · Science and Climate Studies

• Two Views on Time Reversal

  Open Access•Jill North•Philosophy of Science•2008

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• Locating Temporal Passage in a Block World

  Open Access•Brigitte C Everett, Brigitte Everett et al.•Ergo an Open Access Journal of…•2023

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• Against Passage Illusionism

  Open Access•Kristie Miller•Ergo an Open Access Journal of…•2023

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• Time’s Direction and Orthodox Quantum Mechanics

  Open Access•Cristian López•Journal for General Philosophy of…•2022

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• Time reversal operations, representations of the Lorentz group, and the direction of time

  Open Access•Frank Arntzenius•Studies in History and Philosophy…•2004

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• The metaphysical underdetermination of time-reversal invariance

  Open Access•Cristian López, Abbassia Demmouche et al.•Synthese•2023

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• Causality as a theoretical concept

  Open Access•Gerhard Schurz, Alexander Gebharter•Synthese•2016

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• Exploring people’s beliefs about the experience of time

  Open Access•Jack Shardlow, Ruth Lee et al.•Synthese•2021

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• How to tell causes from effects

  Open Access•Martin Carrier•Studies in History and Philosophy…•2003

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• A challenge for experiential passage realism

  Open Access•Kristie Miller•Philosophical Studies•2025

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• Temporal dynamism and the persisting stable self

  Open Access•Andrew J Latham, Kristie Miller et al.•The Philosophical Quarterly•2025

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• Physics and Chance

  Open Access•Lawrence Sklar•Physics and Chance•1993

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• A Brief History of Time

  Stephen W Hawking, James L Anderson•Physics Today•1988

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• I.—the Unreality of Time

  J Ellis McTaggart•Mind•1908

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• The Charybdis of realism

  Open Access•Bas C Van Fraassen•Synthese•1982

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• Time, quantum mechanics, and decoherence

  Open Access•Simon Saunders•Synthese•1995

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• Physics and common causes

  Open Access•Frank Arntzenius•Synthese•1990

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• Two faces of Maxwell's demon reveal the nature of irreversibility

  Open Access•John D Collier•Studies in History and Philosophy…•1990

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• Common Cause Explanation

  Open Access•Elliott Sober•Philosophy of Science•1984

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• On Relativity Theory and Openness of the Future

  Open Access•H Stein•Philosophy of Science•1991

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• An Attempt to Add a Little Direction to “The Problem of the Direction of Time”

  Open Access•John Earman•Philosophy of Science•1974

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• A Defense of McTaggart's Proof of the Unreality of Time

  Michael Dummett•The Philosophical Review•1960

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• Asymmetries in Time

  Richard Healey, Paul Horwich•The Philosophical Review•1991

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• Philosophical Problems of Space and Time

  V F Lenzen, Adolph Grunbaum•Philosophy and Phenomenological…•1975

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• Towards a General Theory of Reduction. Part I

  Open Access•C A Hooker•Dialogue•1981

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• Spatial and Temporal Analogies and the Concept of Identity

  Richard Taylor, Richard D Taylor•The Journal of Philosophy•1955

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• Bringing About the Past

  Michael Dummett•The Philosophical Review•1964

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• The Metaphysics of Time Reversal

  Craig Callender•The British Journal for the…•1995

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• Is Classical Mechanics Time Reversal Invariant

  Steven F Savitt•The British Journal for the…•1994

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• Is Classical Mechanics Really Time-reversible and Deterministic

  Keith Hutchison, Keith A Hutchison•The British Journal for the…•1993

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• Is Entropy Relevant to the Asymmetry Between Retrodiction and Prediction

  Martin Barrett, Elliott Sober•The British Journal for the…•1992

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• The Foundations of Quantum Mechanics and the Approach to Thermodynamic Equilibrium

  David Z Albert•The British Journal for the…•1994

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• Differing Criteria for Temporal Symmetry

  Keith Hutchison, Keith A Hutchison•The British Journal for the…•1995

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