Borrow it
Coverart for item
The Resource Primitive time-reckoning : a study in the origins and first development of the art of counting time among the primitive and early culture peoples, (electronic resource)

Primitive time-reckoning : a study in the origins and first development of the art of counting time among the primitive and early culture peoples, (electronic resource)

Creator
Contributor
Summary
The ancient civilized peoples appear in history with a fully-developed system of time-reckoning, the Egyptians with the shifting year of 365-days, which comes as nearly as possible to the actual length of the year, counting only whole days and neglecting the additional fraction; the Babylonians and the Greeks with the lunisolar, varying between twelve and thirteen months and arranged by the Greeks from the earliest known period of history, in the cycle of the Oktaeteris. It has always been clear that these systems of time reckoning represent, the final stage of a lengthy previous development, but as to the nature of this development the most daring hypotheses have been advanced. Thus, for example, eminent philologists and chronologists have believed the assertion of Censorinus, Ch. 18, and have supposed that the Oktaeteris was preceded by a Tetraeteris, even by aDieteris. It may indeed, at once be asserted that such a hypothesis lacks intrinsic probability. To account for the early development facts are needed, and unfortunately, these especially in the case of the Greeks, are extremely few. Where they are required, they must be sought elsewhere. Setting aside all ingenious but uncertain speculations, our only practicable way of proceeding is by means of a comparison with other peoples among whom methods of time reckoning are still in the primitive stage. This is the ethnological method, which is so well-known from the science of comparative religion, but the claims of which have been so vigorously contested upon grounds of no small plausibility. Fortunately, this dispute need not be settled in order to prove the validity of the comparative method for an investigation into the origin and development of methods of reckoning time. The gist of the dispute may be expressed as follows:-The ethnological school of students of comparative religion assumes that the intellect of the natural man can only master a certain quite limited number of universal conceptions; from these spring more and more abundantly differentiated and complicated ideas, but the foundation is everywhere the same. Hence, our authority for comparing the conceptions of the various peoples of the globe with one another in order to lay bare this foundation. The opponents of the school deny the existence of these fundamental conceptions, and maintain that the points of departure, the primitive ideas of the various peoples, may be as different as the peoples themselves, and that therefore we are not authorized in drawing general conclusions from the comparison or from the fundamental conceptions themselves. In the matter of the indication and reckoning of time, however, we have not to do with a number of conceptions, which may be supposed to be as numerous and as various as we please. At the basis lies an accurately determined and limited and indeed small number of phenomena, which are the same for all peoples all over the globe, and can be combined only in a certain quite small number of ways. These phenomena may be divided into two main groups: (1) the phenomena of the heavens-sun, moon, and stars-and (2) the phases of Nature-the variations of the climate and of plant and animal life, which on their side determine the affairs of men; these, however, depend finally upon one of the heavenly bodies, viz. the sun. The claim that the comparative ethnological method can be justified only when we are dealing with a narrowly circumscribed number of factors, is therefore here complied with, owing to the very nature of the subjects treated. The comparative method does not shew how things have happened in a special case, in regard to, one particular people: it only indicates what may have happened. But, much is already gained if we can eliminate the impossibilities, since from the complete result of the development, no less than in other ways, we may obtain a certain basis for our deductions
Language
eng
Work
Instance
Label
Primitive time-reckoning : a study in the origins and first development of the art of counting time among the primitive and early culture peoples
Title
Primitive time-reckoning
Title remainder
a study in the origins and first development of the art of counting time among the primitive and early culture peoples
Creator
Contributor
Subject
Language
eng
Summary
The ancient civilized peoples appear in history with a fully-developed system of time-reckoning, the Egyptians with the shifting year of 365-days, which comes as nearly as possible to the actual length of the year, counting only whole days and neglecting the additional fraction; the Babylonians and the Greeks with the lunisolar, varying between twelve and thirteen months and arranged by the Greeks from the earliest known period of history, in the cycle of the Oktaeteris. It has always been clear that these systems of time reckoning represent, the final stage of a lengthy previous development, but as to the nature of this development the most daring hypotheses have been advanced. Thus, for example, eminent philologists and chronologists have believed the assertion of Censorinus, Ch. 18, and have supposed that the Oktaeteris was preceded by a Tetraeteris, even by aDieteris. It may indeed, at once be asserted that such a hypothesis lacks intrinsic probability. To account for the early development facts are needed, and unfortunately, these especially in the case of the Greeks, are extremely few. Where they are required, they must be sought elsewhere. Setting aside all ingenious but uncertain speculations, our only practicable way of proceeding is by means of a comparison with other peoples among whom methods of time reckoning are still in the primitive stage. This is the ethnological method, which is so well-known from the science of comparative religion, but the claims of which have been so vigorously contested upon grounds of no small plausibility. Fortunately, this dispute need not be settled in order to prove the validity of the comparative method for an investigation into the origin and development of methods of reckoning time. The gist of the dispute may be expressed as follows:-The ethnological school of students of comparative religion assumes that the intellect of the natural man can only master a certain quite limited number of universal conceptions; from these spring more and more abundantly differentiated and complicated ideas, but the foundation is everywhere the same. Hence, our authority for comparing the conceptions of the various peoples of the globe with one another in order to lay bare this foundation. The opponents of the school deny the existence of these fundamental conceptions, and maintain that the points of departure, the primitive ideas of the various peoples, may be as different as the peoples themselves, and that therefore we are not authorized in drawing general conclusions from the comparison or from the fundamental conceptions themselves. In the matter of the indication and reckoning of time, however, we have not to do with a number of conceptions, which may be supposed to be as numerous and as various as we please. At the basis lies an accurately determined and limited and indeed small number of phenomena, which are the same for all peoples all over the globe, and can be combined only in a certain quite small number of ways. These phenomena may be divided into two main groups: (1) the phenomena of the heavens-sun, moon, and stars-and (2) the phases of Nature-the variations of the climate and of plant and animal life, which on their side determine the affairs of men; these, however, depend finally upon one of the heavenly bodies, viz. the sun. The claim that the comparative ethnological method can be justified only when we are dealing with a narrowly circumscribed number of factors, is therefore here complied with, owing to the very nature of the subjects treated. The comparative method does not shew how things have happened in a special case, in regard to, one particular people: it only indicates what may have happened. But, much is already gained if we can eliminate the impossibilities, since from the complete result of the development, no less than in other ways, we may obtain a certain basis for our deductions
Cataloging source
Midwest
http://library.link/vocab/creatorDate
1874-1967
http://library.link/vocab/creatorName
Nilsson, Martin P.
Index
no index present
Literary form
fiction
Nature of contents
dictionaries
http://library.link/vocab/relatedWorkOrContributorName
hoopla digital
Series statement
Kessinger Publishing's rare reprints
http://library.link/vocab/subjectName
  • Chronology
  • Calendar
  • Electronic books
Target audience
adult
Label
Primitive time-reckoning : a study in the origins and first development of the art of counting time among the primitive and early culture peoples, (electronic resource)
Link
Instantiates
Publication
Distribution
Carrier category
online resource
Carrier category code
  • cr
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Color
multicolored
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Dimensions
unknown
Extent
1 online resource
Form of item
  • online
  • electronic
Governing access note
Digital content provided by hoopla
Isbn
9781465655660
Isbn Type
(electronic bk.)
Media category
computer
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • c
http://library.link/vocab/ext/overdrive/overdriveId
14246733
Publisher number
MWT14246733
Specific material designation
remote
System details
Mode of access: World Wide Web
Label
Primitive time-reckoning : a study in the origins and first development of the art of counting time among the primitive and early culture peoples, (electronic resource)
Link
Publication
Distribution
Carrier category
online resource
Carrier category code
  • cr
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Color
multicolored
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Dimensions
unknown
Extent
1 online resource
Form of item
  • online
  • electronic
Governing access note
Digital content provided by hoopla
Isbn
9781465655660
Isbn Type
(electronic bk.)
Media category
computer
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • c
http://library.link/vocab/ext/overdrive/overdriveId
14246733
Publisher number
MWT14246733
Specific material designation
remote
System details
Mode of access: World Wide Web

Subject

Library Locations

  • Anza LibraryBorrow it
    550 37th Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94121, US
    37.778535 -122.497218
  • Bayview/Linda Brooks-Burton LibraryBorrow it
    5075 3rd Street, San Francisco, CA, 94124, US
    37.732534 -122.391121
  • Bernal Heights LibraryBorrow it
    500 Cortland Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94110, US
    37.738862 -122.416132
  • Bookmobiles / Mobile OutreachBorrow it
    San Francisco, CA, US
  • Chinatown/Him Mark Lai LibraryBorrow it
    1135 Powell Street, San Francisco, CA, 94108, US
    37.795248 -122.410239
  • Eureka Valley/Harvey Milk Memorial LibraryBorrow it
    1 Jose Sarria Court, San Francisco, CA, 94114, US
    37.764084 -122.431821
  • Excelsior LibraryBorrow it
    4400 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA, 94112, US
    37.727127 -122.433284
  • Glen Park LibraryBorrow it
    2825 Diamond Street, San Francisco, CA, 94131, US
    37.733969 -122.433723
  • Golden Gate Valley LibraryBorrow it
    1801 Green Street, San Francisco, CA, 94123, US
    37.797819 -122.428950
  • Ingleside LibraryBorrow it
    1298 Ocean Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94112, US
    37.724132 -122.456251
  • Marina LibraryBorrow it
    1890 Chestnut Street, San Francisco, CA, 94123, US
    37.801325 -122.434154
  • Merced LibraryBorrow it
    155 Winston Drive, San Francisco, CA, 94132, US
    37.726735 -122.474482
  • Mission Bay LibraryBorrow it
    960 4th Street, San Francisco, CA, 94158, US
    37.775330 -122.393195
  • Mission LibraryBorrow it
    300 Bartlett St, San Francisco, CA, 94110, US
    37.751989 -122.419843
  • Noe Valley/Sally Brunn LibraryBorrow it
    451 Jersey Street, San Francisco, CA, 94114, US
    37.750180 -122.435116
  • North Beach LibraryBorrow it
    850 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94133, US
    37.802585 -122.413280
  • Ocean View LibraryBorrow it
    345 Randolph Street, San Francisco, CA, 94132, US
    37.714138 -122.466002
  • Ortega LibraryBorrow it
    3223 Ortega Street, San Francisco, CA, 94122, US
    37.751163 -122.498094
  • Park LibraryBorrow it
    1833 Page Street, San Francisco, CA, 94117, US
    37.770300 -122.451046
  • Parkside LibraryBorrow it
    1200 Taraval Street, San Francisco, CA, 94116, US
    37.743130 -122.479330
  • Portola LibraryBorrow it
    380 Bacon Street, San Francisco, CA, 94134, US
    37.727098 -122.406361
  • Potrero LibraryBorrow it
    1616 20th Street, San Francisco, CA, 94107, US
    37.760122 -122.397653
  • Presidio LibraryBorrow it
    3150 Sacramento Street, San Francisco, CA, 94115, US
    37.788875 -122.444892
  • Richmond/Senator Milton Marks LibraryBorrow it
    351 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94118, US
    37.781855 -122.468054
  • San Francisco Public LibraryBorrow it
    100 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA, 94102, US
    37.779376 -122.415795
  • Sunset LibraryBorrow it
    1305 18th Ave., San Francisco, CA, 94122, US
    37.763354 -122.476307
  • Visitacion Valley LibraryBorrow it
    201 Leland Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94134, US
    37.712695 -122.407913
  • West Portal LibraryBorrow it
    190 Lenox Way, San Francisco, CA, 94127, US
    37.741341 -122.465883
  • Western AdditionBorrow it
    1550 Scott Street, San Francisco, CA, 94115, US
    37.784121 -122.437503

Library Links

Structured data from the Bibframe namespace is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by San Francisco Public Library. Additional terms may apply to data associated with third party namespaces.
Processing Feedback ...