Abstract
Traditionally, from the viewpoint of the philosophy of physics, the problem of the arrow of time has been addressed considering the formal properties exhibited by the fundamental physical laws. In particular, if the laws remain invariant under time reversal, then a privileged temporal direction cannot be distinguished on physical grounds. On the contrary, if a specific law does not remain invariant under time reversal, it is possible to offer a physical and substantial argument for the existence of the arrow of time. However, this strategy has led to several problems, and has contributed to create an atmosphere of skepticism in the field of philosophy of physics, about the potentiality of physics to provide grounds for an asymmetric time. The aim of this article is to show that general relativity seems to be a promising and fruitful field for the philosophical discussion about this matter. It will be argued that it is necessary to put aside the formal properties of the physical laws and the concept of time reversal and, instead, to consider the properties of space-time.
Keywords:
Arrow of time; General relativity; Temporal invariance; Philosophy of physics