C‐theories of time: On the adirectionality of time. Issue 12 (6th November 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Farr, Matt
• Is Part Of: Philosophy compass. Volume 15:Issue 12(2020)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2020-11-06
• Subjects: Philosophy -- Periodicals; 100
• DOI: 10.1111/phc3.12714
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1747-9991

Abstract

Abstract: 'The universe is expanding, not contracting'. Many statements of this form appear unambiguously true; after all, the discovery of the universe's expansion is one of the great triumphs of empirical science. However, the statement is time‐directed: the universe expands towards what we call the future; it contracts towards the past. If we deny that time has a direction, should we also deny that the universe is really expanding? This article draws together and discusses what I call 'C‐theories' of time—in short, philosophical positions that hold time lacks a direction—from different areas of the literature. I set out the various motivations, aims and problems for C‐theories, and outline different versions of antirealism about the direction of time.