On the Emergence of Time in Quantum Gravity

Butterfield, Jeremy and Isham, Chris (1999) On the Emergence of Time in Quantum Gravity.

Abstract

We discuss from a philosophical perspective the way in
which the normal concept of time might be said to `emerge'
in a quantum theory of gravity. After an introduction, we
briefly discuss the notion of emergence, without regard to
time (Section 2). We then introduce the search for a
quantum theory of gravity (Section 3); and review some
general interpretative issues about space, time and matter
(Section 4). We then discuss the emergence of time in
simple quantum geometrodynamics, and in the Euclidean
approach (Section 5). Section 6 concludes