Cartographies of Time, History of the Timeline and Design of the Future - Literature review Example

Reading Report Name: Institution: Instructor: Date: Time in Print This essay constitutes a reflection of lines, which constitutes the elementary part of historical diagrams. The motivating factor behind the writer’s mind was the need to bridge the gap that exists between the history and cartography. The author argues that graphic representation is equality important as the historical diagrams and charts, and that there is no need to seclude critical work of publication in the area of time maps. The author argues that lines are much moiré complex and colourful figures than are normally thought. Lines are often used to create simple diagrams with great effect in timelines. According to the author, the reason for the existence of the gap in the theoretical and historical perception of timelines is the low status often granted to the chronology as a type of study. Although the chronologies are frequently used, many people view them as the remnants of the rather complex historical ideas and narratives. The notion that chronologies work as far as people are concerned seem to be contrary to the authors view. During the classical period, right to the Renaissance period in Europe, chronologies were among the popularly revered of all scholarly pursuits. At some point, chronology held a higher status than the study of history. History emphasized in stories where as chronology focused on facts (Daniel & Anthony, 2009). The author puts emphasis on brief accounts of the ways in which modern types of chronological representations emerged. The author also shows how the chronological representations entrenched themselves in the imaginations of modern time. In doing so, the author looks at some views of the western history in order to clarify the complexity between modes of representation and ideas, as well as giving the introduction to the graphics of historical representation (Daniel & Anthony, 2009). Innovation was further spurred towards the end of the 17th by the technical developments in printing. In the middle and antiquity Ages, the older lists of rulers and events were accepted by the chronologist. They also invested their efforts in integrating them into larger wholes. In the Renaissance period many historians became critical and even more ambitious (Daniel & Anthony, 2009). The ancient maps which were created by Ptolemy were updated by the mapmakers given the fact that they had acquired some knowledge about the earth’s surface. In this period also, scholars created new forms of visual organization and modified old forms for the printed book format. It has been, however, difficult to persuade the historians from the west to think of chronology as anything better than an elementary form of historiography despite the cultural significance of chronology. From the book, the birth of modern historical thinking can be traced from the medieval lists of dates known as annals, through the chronicles and eventually to the fully narrative types of historiography. The annals are enumerated but not narrated. They do not make any distinctions between human acts and natural occurrences. The chronicles are narrate but also not narrated. The full narrative forms materialize with modernity. The dreaming In this essay, the author reflects on the way human beings and the universe is understood by the Aborigines. The period in which human being came to be the way they are at the present is literally referred to as the dream time. However, the author chose the title “The Dreaming” because many Aborigines call it in English. This is the ancient time when man and the nature came to existence. The period is believed to be sacred and heroic and that history and time were not involved in during this period. The author was basically motivated to write the essay in order to show that “The Dreaming” is a complex concept that can be understood differently by different people and cultures. He states that some people may simply call the dream time a period from which his spirit came. Others attribute the existence of the law of life to the dreaming. The author argues that dreaming cannot be fixed to time as it is ever present (Stanner, 2009). According to the author, it is also wrong to view the Dream as a Golden Age period. This is because it was a unique time characterized by Heroes and that marvellous things were done by ancestors. Such things could not be done today by the ordinary human being (Stanner, 2009). The Dreaming constitutes three unique things. To begin with, it is a type of narrative in which all the accounts of things that once happened can be told. Secondly, the Dreaming is a form of charter for things that are currently still happening. Lastly, it is a form of principle of order that goes above every important element of the Aboriginal people. The author states that the blacks have embraced the Aboriginal way of thinking through their social organisation in order to give a solid structure of the world’s outlook through intuitive speculations. This means that the blacks have essential principles in broader phenomenon. In other words, the blacks have been able to do the same thing with “time”. As a concept, “time” is imprecisely found in the minds of the Aboriginal people. The author also argues that the philosophy of life constitutes mental attitudes which may be or may not be dependable with the actual way of life. With the above reasons in mind, it is apparently clear that The Dream is not just as simple as one may put, but rather a complex philosophy that should be honoured by all men and artists who draws their inspiration from the Aboriginal Australia. The author illustrates this by giving an example of a black fellow who literally understood the concept of the Dreaming as an equivalent of English. The author’s understanding of The Dream is that the black fellow’s understanding suggests two abilities which have greatly contributed to what human history is at today(Stanner, 2009). These are; the metaphysical gift which implies the ability of a person to transcend and turn the universe and other people into complementation objects. The second is the ability to drive or rather creates sense out of human experiences, as well as finding some principles in all human situations. Design in Time In the excerpt, the author begins by defining time. In his definition, he referred to Aristotle’s definition of time as the event whereby things occur. As a measure, the author views time as independent of being. Time is a product of the perceptions of human being which gives meaning to the observed changes. In writing the book, the author wanted to develop an understanding that human being, is an event in time. This means that as a totality and singularity, he will arrive at a specific time as a finite entity. That is, he will stop to be at some point (Tony, 2009). He also wanted to pass the message that one can only increase the duration of being in time by becoming more sustainable, engaging in collective designing. The way one views the world is equally the same as the one thinks and act in relation to time. The inability to plan our actions in time limits our mode of being. To secure the existing being, it is essential to overcome the condition and acquire the future capability. Unlike in the ancient architecture, designers and architectures use modern concepts as well as the analytical tools, which places time factor in the forefront. The “design life” is one of the concepts which are broadly used by the designers and architects. This refers to the specified duration of a building, products, its elements or components. The second concept is the “life-cycle” assessment. It entails measurement of the inputs of energy and the pollution output form processing, manufacturing of products, extraction of raw materials and recycling (Tony, 2009). Despite the two concepts, the many designers and architects still operate under very underdeveloped time. They are predominantly preoccupied with form, matter and space. The future is normally thought to be a void, awaiting fulfilment. The author asserts that the reality of the future being devoid is delimited. The future is filled with the achievements and the failures of the past, which disables or enables possibilities. According to the author, the future is understood as a fate which is partly sealed and moves towards us. The climate change caused by global warming the fact that the future cannot be predicted, does not negate our responsibility to identify possibilities and that precaution makers. It announces the imperative of designing in time as a very important methodological aspect of the pieces. In the recognition of design designing and future travelling towards the present, learning how to design from the future become s very important. The fast quickly, fades into the condition of indistinctness and the future is void. What is rarely recognized is that the past can exist in an external presence and travel with time. Their vividness arrives with the passion of time and it is lived every day. This implies also to the culture. For example, the crusades in the Middle East, for Muslim and contemporary Arab cultures are not forgotten completely. The crusades have impacted on how their cultures have been [positioned across the globe. References Daniel R., & Anthony G., (2009). Cartographies of Time: A History of the Timeline. Princeton Architectural Press. New York. Tony F., (2009).Design Futuring: Sustainability, ethics and new practice. Berg Publishers UK. Stanner. W., (2009). The Dreaming and other Essays. Black Inc. Agenda, Melbourne. Read More