Lopez, Cristian (2025) Saving the Appearances: the Direction of Time and Time- Reversal Invariance. [Preprint]

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Abstract

In this paper, I endorse phenomenal conservatism as epistemic theory of justification and I defend that we are justified in believing that the direction of time is primitive because it seems to us to be primitive, unless there were defeaters for having such a belief. This is what I call the “Argument From Appearances”. I then analyse one of the most powerful argument against this argument, the “Time-Reversal Argument”, and claim that it relies on supplementary premises that can be challenged. Therefore, it is rendered harmless and does not qualify as a solid defeater against the Argument from Appearances.

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Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Lopez, Cristian cristian.lopez@unil.ch 0000-0002-2883-4037
Keywords:	direction of time; phenomenal conservatism; appearances; time-reversal invariance
Subjects:	General Issues > Scientific Metaphysics Specific Sciences > Physics Specific Sciences > Physics > Symmetries/Invariances
Depositing User:	Dr. Cristian Lopez
Date Deposited:	14 Jan 2026 13:39
Last Modified:	14 Jan 2026 13:39
Item ID:	27881
Subjects:	General Issues > Scientific Metaphysics Specific Sciences > Physics Specific Sciences > Physics > Symmetries/Invariances
Date:	1 November 2025
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/27881

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