This thesis analyzes the direction of time problem in the framework of philosophy of science. The radiation arrow, Newtonian arrow, thermodynamic arrow and quantum mechanical arrow have been studied in detail. The importance of the structure of space-time concerning direction of time is emphasized.

This thesis addresses how leaders find themselves doing something even when they don't know what to do. It is based on my own practice as an experienced team leader and it deals with questions of action, time, identity and leadership. A classic understanding of action usually reflects an expectation of a rational means-ends relationship where actions are designed and applied by individuals to reach well-defined goals within a certain context and within a certain time. In contrast, in this thesis, I describe acting as a much more complex process, as something becoming, as a patterning of activities involving multiple actors in a continuous and complex interweaving of relationships. I describe my experience of leading a team of consultants in international development projects where I inquire into how we often find ourselves acting into uncertainty even when we are not at all sure what to do. Adopting the theory of complex responsive processes of relating, which combines insights from the complexity sciences, social psychology and process sociology, I have come to see acting in our projects as complex, unpredictable, emerging themes and patterns of dialogues between colleagues, clients and other actors, rather than as an activity undertaken by an individual such as a team leader. I do not have an outside position to acting in a project as I am fully involved in the process while this paradoxically influences me at the same time. I argue that acting is related to identity, which can be understood as a sense of self, a person's moral self-interpretation which has a narrative structure and which is continuously being formed by (and is forming) one's acting. I argue that my experience of our practice may be explained by the pragmatists' understanding of acting based on actual lived experience where the means paradoxically become our 'ends-in-view' and vice versa, meaning that we do not just try to maintain a theoretical, future goal but move forwards towards what is practically possible, what we find useful and what makes sense in the present. Acting happens in a living present, meaning that we understand the present through our interpretation of the past as well as our expectation of the future, and we construct this living present as something that works for us when we pursue our collective aims and interests. In the process of acting, there is an arrow on time, meaning that what has been said cannot be unsaid, wherefore it is important to reflect on the perspective of 'ends-in-view' and to understand how acting into a situation may reveal new opportunities. The thesis contributes to knowledge within my profession as an original invitation to think differently about two aspects: first, seeing acting in a project with a much more processual, temporal and encompassing understanding where action is not located in an individual; second, understanding how acting is influenced by one's identity, a sense of self, which is paradoxically being formed by the acting at the same time. Further, the thesis identifies sociality, being different things at the same time (Mead, 1932/2002), as a new aspect in the theory of complex responsive processes of relating (Stacey, Griffin, & Shaw, 2000), recognising its significance in the process of understanding of how novelty occurs. The thesis contributes to my practice in terms of an increased reflexivity and acceptance that a team leader cannot determine outcomes in advance; that leadership is a complex process involving many actors; and that observing ends-in-view may create new and surprising ways forward. I find that these insights can lead to an increased acceptance of how we can act under conditions of uncertainty.

Le problème de la direction du temps est un problème classique autant en physique qu’en philosophie. Quoiqu’il existe plusieurs façons de s’interroger sur ce problème, l’approche thermodynamique est la plus fréquemment utilisée. Cette approche consiste à considérer la flèche du temps thermodynamique comme la flèche fondamentale de laquelle les autres flèches ne sont que des manifestations. Ce mémoire vise à fournir une analyse philosophique de cette approche. Pour ce faire, nous esquisserons la problématique générale, nous exposerons les différentes approches et théories alternatives visant à résoudre ce problème et nous présenterons la thèse forte soutenant l’approche thermodynamique. Ensuite, nous évaluerons la pertinence du recours à la mécanique statistique et à la cosmologie visant à remédier aux déficiences de cette même approche. Enfin, nous analyserons en quoi cette approche, et plus particulièrement la notion d’entropie, est en mesure de fournir un cadre conceptuel pour la résolution du problème de la flèche du temps. / The problem of the direction of time is a classical problem in both physics and philosophy. Although there are various ways to tackle this problem, the thermodynamic approach is the most commonly used. This approach considers the thermodynamic arrow of time as the fundamental arrow of which all others arrows are only manifestations. This essay aims to provide a philosophical analysis of this approach. To do this, we sketch the research question, we introduce various alternate theories and approaches set to answer this problem, and present the strong thesis underlying the thermodynamic approach. Then we will evaluate the use of statistical mechanics and cosmology that are used in attempt to mitigate the deficiencies of this approach. Finally, we will analyze how this approach, and more importantly the notion of entropy, can provide an adequate conceptual scheme to solve the problem of the arrow of time.

This thesis analyzes the direction of time problem in the framework of philosophy of science. The radiation arrow, Newtonian arrow, thermodynamical arrow and quantum mechanical arrow have been studied in detail. The importance of the structure of space-time concerning direction of time is emphasized.

yes / The present article proposes to re-examine the parity-of-reasoning or double-standard fallacy argument, which favours a time-symmetric Gold universe model over a cosmological arrow of time. There are two reasons for this re-examination. One is empirical: 1) the recent discovery of an expanding and accelerating universe questions the symmetry assumption of the Gold universe on empirical grounds; 2) the other is theoretical: the argument from t-symmetry fails to take into account some important aspects of the topology of phase space and recently developed typicality arguments. If the parity-of-reasoning argument, which depends on the t-symmetry of probability, is reconsidered in terms of the topology of phase space and typicality arguments, the double-standard fallacy argument loses much of its appeal. The Gold universe model itself suffers from unexplained dynamic asymmetries. The upshot of this paper is that the Gold universe model is implausible or far less plausible than asymmetric models.