Single Idea 23004

[catalogued under 27. Natural Reality / D. Time / 2. Passage of Time / g. Time's arrow]

Full Idea

Primitivism is the view that time has a direction, and that its having that direction is intrinsic to time itself. Reductionism is the view that time has a direction, but its having that direction is reducible to something else.

Gist of Idea

The direction of time is either primitive, or reducible to something else

Source

Baron,S/Miller,K (Intro to the Philosophy of Time [2019], 5.3.1)

Book Reference

Baron,S/Miller,K: 'Introduction to the Philosophy of Time' [Polity 2019], p.130


A Reaction

The general suggestion for the second theory is that time's direction reduces to some aspect of the laws of nature. I strongly incline to the primitive view. Something's got to be primitive.