week 5 Flashcards
(15 cards)
newtonian time
shift in thinking in the 17th and 18th centuries
time as mathematical, mechanical
time as an absolute frame of reference
a fundamental quality, like mass or length
E.P. Thompson (1967) – Time, Work Discipline and Industrial Capitalism
Clock time emerged from Industrial Revolution.
Shift from agricultural time (seasonal, irregular) → Time-discipline (structured, factory-based).
Workers conditioned using:
Division/supervision of labour
Fines, bells, clocks
Schooling, money incentives
Suppression of fairs/sports
workers conditioned in time using
Division/supervision of labour
Fines, bells, clocks
Schooling, money incentives
Suppression of fairs/sports
The French Revolutionary
Calendar (used from 1793 –
1805)
First day of the first year was
22 September 1792 (first day
of the new French Republic)
* Each month had 3 10-day
weeks
Lakeoff and Johnson, Metaphors We
Live By (1980
Ego-moving: You move forward through time
Time-moving: Time flows past you
William Playfair (1786)
Pioneer of data visualisation.
Emphasized objectivity & neutrality.
Equal space per year on x-axis → based on Newtonian time.
The Legacy of Playfair et al.
Time is typically represented as moving left to right or top to bottom.
Graphical elements represent
amounts, volumes etc.
- Space communicates temporal
distances – usually evenly spaced
where 1 day =1 set amount of
space.
Cyclical time
A non-linear conception of time that emphasizes repetition, recurrence, and rhythmic patterns.
cyclical time common in
Religious or ritual calendars (e.g., lunar cycles, festivals)
Agricultural societies (planting/harvest seasons)
Cultural narratives where events are believed to repeat or echo over time
Time as Temporality (in simple terms)
There are two ways people think about time:
Time is like a container: Time is fixed, like a clock or calendar. Events just happen inside it.
Time comes from events: Time isn’t fixed. It’s created by how events relate to each other.
