Talk by Farr at MCMP (Wed. 20th)

[Dardashti, Radin]

Speaker: Matt Farr (University of Queensland)
Date: Wed., Jan. 20
Location: Ludwigstr. 31, ground floor, room 021
Time: 16:15 -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 17:45

Title: Causation and Time Reversal

Abstract:
What would it be for a process to happen ‘backwards’ in time? Would such 
a process involve different causal relations? On a standard 
interpretation of time reversal, time reversal symmetric theories 
radically underdetermine causal relations between events. This has led 
many to imply that time reversal symmetry motivates eliminativism about 
causation. This paper assesses the compatibility of time reversal 
symmetry with causation by asking whether causal relations ought to 
invert under the action of time reversal or remain invariant. I show 
that in neither case is there an incompatibility between time reversal 
symmetry and causation and hence time reversal symmetric theories pose 
no special problem for causality. I argue for a ‘non-causal’ 
interpretation of time reversal, whereby time reversal does not invert 
causal relations, and assess the consequences of this interpretation for 
the epistemology and metaphysics of causation.