The Clock as an Instrument of Time Denaturing
The invention of the clock marked the turning point in the relationship between humans and the perception of time. Before its widespread adoption, measurement was approximate and variable: hours were divided into 12 equal parts between sunrise and sunset, naturally adapting to the seasons (longer summer days, shorter winter ones).
The Arbitrariness of Mechanical Time
- Independence from Nature: The clock imposes an arbitrary and fixed value on time, making it independent of the rhythms of sunlight.
- Quantum Time: This transition leads to a “quantized” view of time, where every second has the same theoretical weight, ignoring the quality of subjective experience.