Philosophical Aspects of Time in Modern Physics

In classical physics, the concept of time appeared to be well understood. Along with space, it provided a kind of stage where events followed each other in an orderly way. The introduction of relativity and quantum mechanics profoundly changed this intuitive view. To address these challenges, the Aristotelian vision of time and the now is a promising starting point. His approach is compatible with the absence of absolute time and the granularity of time, required by relativity and quantum mechanics, respectively. Several issues, like Einstein’s point coincidence argument and Wheeler's delayed choice experiment, enter the discussion. The Aristotelian approach appears to lead to a novel understanding of time in modern physics.