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Two Views on Time Reversal

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2022

Jill North
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Abstract

In a recent paper, Malament (2004) employs a time reversal transformation that differs from the standard one, without explicitly arguing for it. This is a new and important understanding of time reversal that deserves arguing for in its own right. I argue that it improves upon the standard one. Recent discussion has focused on whether velocities should undergo a time reversal operation. I address a prior question: What is the proper notion of time reversal? This is important, for it will affect our conclusion as to whether our best theories are time-reversal symmetric, and hence whether our spacetime is temporally oriented.

Type
Research Article
Information
Philosophy of Science , Volume 75 , Issue 2 , April 2008 , pp. 201 - 223
Copyright
Copyright © The Philosophy of Science Association

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Footnotes

‡

For comments and discussion, I am indebted to Frank Arntzenius, Hartry Field, Stephen Leeds, David Malament, Ted Sider, students in seminars at NYU and Yale, audience members at the Pacific APA in 2006, and an anonymous referee for this journal.

References

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