Originally published on December 9, 2020 (Episode 189)
Introduction
Beginning in the Middle Ages, Western culture became increasingly preoccupied with regulating society through the precise measurement of time.
“By the late fourteenth century,” writes my guest Ken Mondschein in his book On Time: A History of Western Timekeeping, “mechanical clocks controlled the bells in medieval towns… These regular bells arguably produced a change in time consciousness at a general level: a device for measuring abstract time began to be used to regulate both personal and public activities.”
Mondschein argues that without clocks—and the time discipline they imposed—the Western world as we know it would not exist.
About the Guest
Ken Mondschein is a historian of the Middle Ages with special interests in technology, culture, and the arts of warfare. He is also credentialed as a master of historical fencing by the United States Fencing Coaches’ Organization and has translated several historical fencing treatises.
For Further Investigation
Ken Mondschein, On Time: A History of Western Timekeeping (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2020)
Gerhard Dohrn-van Rossum, History of the Hour: Clocks and Modern Temporal Orders
Carlo Cipolla, Clocks and Culture, 1300–1700
David Landes, Revolution in Time: Clocks and the Making of the Modern World
Eviatar Zerubavel, Hidden Rhythms: Schedules and Calendars in Social Life
Listen & Discuss
How do you think clocks and schedules shape our modern lives—for better or worse? Share your thoughts in the comments, and forward this conversation to a friend who always runs on time (or always runs late).
