The Arrow of Time and the Wheel of Fortune

Two main conceptions of time -- linear & cyclical -- have been symbolically represented by arrow & wheel. These metaphors are deeply rooted in personal experience & culture, & explain the experiences of time flying & recurrent life cycles. Drawing on literary, iconological, &...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inRevista internacional de sociología no. 18; pp. 57 - 79
Main Author Gonzalez Garcia, Jose M
Format Journal Article
LanguageSpanish
Published 01.09.1997
Subjects
Europe
Metaphors
Seventeenth Century
Time
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Summary:Two main conceptions of time -- linear & cyclical -- have been symbolically represented by arrow & wheel. These metaphors are deeply rooted in personal experience & culture, & explain the experiences of time flying & recurrent life cycles. Drawing on literary, iconological, & political philosophy traditions, the metaphor of the clock in the 17th century is analyzed. A correlation between the historical process of constructing modern time & an increase in more precise utilization of the clock metaphor for the different parts of the baroque government & state is noted. The mechanical clock is the key alegory of the absolute baroque state, but the metaphor of power was also developed through the sand clock, as a metaphor for the expiration of power, & the sun clock, as a symbol of the subordination of politics to religion. 8 Figures. Adapted from the source document.
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ISSN:0034-9712