
doi: 10.1086/697748
The distribution of matter in our universe is strikingly time asymmetric. Most famously, the Second Law of Thermodynamics says that entropy tends to increase toward the future but not toward the past. But what explains this time-asymmetric distribution of matter? In this article, I explore the idea that time itself has a direction by drawing from recent work on grounding and metaphysical fundamentality. I will argue that positing such a direction of time, in addition to time-asymmetric boundary conditions (such as the so-called past hypothesis), enables a better explanation of the thermodynamic asymmetry than is available otherwise.
Filosofi, Fundamentality, : Philosophy & ethics [A08] [Arts & humanities], Direction of Time, Statistical Mechanics, Past Hypothesis, Philosophy, Tim Maudlin, Thermodynamics, Grounding, : Philosophie & éthique [A08] [Arts & sciences humaines]
Filosofi, Fundamentality, : Philosophy & ethics [A08] [Arts & humanities], Direction of Time, Statistical Mechanics, Past Hypothesis, Philosophy, Tim Maudlin, Thermodynamics, Grounding, : Philosophie & éthique [A08] [Arts & sciences humaines]
| selected citations These citations are derived from selected sources. This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | 4 | |
| popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network. | Average | |
| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Average | |
| impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Average |
