Time in Classical Physics

Time plays an ambiguous role in classical physics. On the one hand, classical physics allows for a picture of time largely fitting with common-sense views about time, as one-dimensional, and flowing from past to future. On the other, various features of classical physics and formulations of classical mechanics give a less familiar picture of time, as symmetrical between past and future, with apparent teleological qualities. This chapter surveys these varied temporal features of classical physics and draws some conclusions about how to interpret ‘classical time’.