Reclaiming Time from the Time Revolutionaries
Time has undergone several revolutions, and it is undergoing one now. Can we ever hope to reclaim Catholic time from the time revolutionaries?
Although we often forget it, we Catholics are locked in an endless philosophical arms race with the secular world.
We get endlessly distracted by the political issues of the day, but the real issues are more fundamental.
Here are a few:
How do power and authority work in our families and communities?
What is the difference between men and women?
How do we determine our priorities?
What is the difference between a vocation and a career?
What is religion? What is community?
How do we spend (and manage) our time?
Revolutionaries understand that these fundamental questions span the gap between metaphysical questions about truth, God, and purpose and more practical questions of public policy. They know that by changing the way society answers these questions, they will get what they want: total transformation.
One way that revolutionaries make change is by manipulating the way that we think about and interact with time. This is happening now, and it happened during the Enlightenment and French Revolution before that.
Simply put, prior to Enlightenment Time (which we live in now), there was Catholic Time.
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Emphasis on Reason and Science
The Enlightenment championed reason and scientific inquiry as the primary means of understanding the world. This shift in thinking lead to a more empirical and rational approach to timekeeping. Time became seen as a measurable and quantifiable entity, subject to observation and analysis, rather than as a mystical and divine concept.
Secularization of Time
The Enlightenment promoted secularism. This had an impact on the perception of time, as it sought to remove the influence of Catholic religious authorities on timekeeping. The focus shifted from religious observances and the liturgical calendar to a more secular understanding of time as a tool for organization and measurement.
Standardization and Precision
The Enlightenment also played a significant role in the standardization and precision of time measurement. The earlier development of mechanical clocks and the adoption of universally accepted timekeeping practices imposed a rigid (and somewhat arbitrary) structure on time.
The Rise of Secular Philosophies
Enlightenment philosophers, such as Immanuel Kant, Voltaire, and David Hume, put forth new ideas that challenged the predominately Catholic worldview of Europe. Their writings and ideas influenced broader intellectual and cultural shifts, including the perception of time. These philosophers often advocated for a rational and secular understanding of time.
Shift towards Progress and Change
The Enlightenment fostered a belief in progress and the idea that societies could improve through reason and knowledge. This mindset had implications for how time was perceived. The medieval view of time was often characterized by cyclical notions of history, emphasizing a repeating, but ever-deepening worldview. In contrast, the Enlightenment promoted a linear conception of time, where progress and change were inescapable.
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Just as the philosophers and revolutionaries of the Enlightenment understood that a new approach to time was a primary means to redefine our relationship with our Creator and the Source of Meaning in our lives, so too do the philosophers and revolutionaries of today.
This emphasis on rationalistic and mechanistic time has had its upside, but any amount of medicine in the wrong dose becomes poison.
A more Catholic and even natural approach to time and time management will free us to know, love, and serve God once again.
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