How is the examination of physical theories relevant to the metaphysical inquiry into time ?

Abstract

Since Newton's mechanics, time has had a special status in physical theories. On the one hand, it appears as a quantity like any other, represented by certain mathematical symbols. But on the other, its role as a quantity is different from that of the others, since it does not participate in the same way in the explanation of change. The aim of this presentation is to examine the possible lessons that can be drawn from variations in the representation of time in physical theories, with particular emphasis on the theory of quantum gravitation.

Anouk Barberousse

Anouk Barberousse is Professor of Philosophy of Science in the Faculty of Letters at Sorbonne University. Her work focuses on the different modalities of scientific representation: theories, models, digital simulations, and the implications of scientific change. More recently, she has turned her attention to the issues raised by the scientific uses of massive data, particularly in the life sciences.