João Soares
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"Loop Year Calendar"
These are just some reflections.
From some time now I have been thinking about the idea of a “Loop Year Calendar”, and now I finally have the time to write it on paper. I am not sure if there is such a defined concept already, but I will try to explain. I am referring to a Calendar that encompasses a solar year, but instead of expressing an infinite time (assuming time is infinite) divided by units of year (e.g. ∞ BC to ∞ AD of the Gregorian calendar), the Calendar I’m referring to would not encompass units of year but rather “a” unit of year, i.e. years (plural) would not exist in this Calendar. Regardless of the annual division “that” year would take (for example, in Gregorian calendar the year is divided by months, weeks, days, etc), this Calendar would not be drawn besides that “sole” year, and therefore it would not be able to keep time apart from that current year the society is on.
To give an example:
Gregorian calendar:
5BC, 4 BC, 3BC, 2BC, 1BC, 1AD, 2AD, 3AD, 4AD, 5AD (countable units of year)
“Loop Year Calendar”:
X – X – X – X – X – X – X – X – X – X (uncountable units of year)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->
In this “Loop Year Calendar” there are no years to count because there are no years (plural), just a Year (singular), but the Year of this Calendar would still be divisible into months, weeks, days, etc, for example.
To give another example, in Gregorian calendar I can socially refer to any moment that has happened before or will happen in time. I will say “in the year 587 AD, January 12th, this determined event happened”
However, in this “Loop Year Calendar” I will be able to socially refer, regarding any moment that has or will happen in time, as “In January 12th this determined event happened”
So, what is the relevance of all of this? I don’t know, I guess I am just playing with concepts. But I still wonder if this Calendar has any advantage to a society, or disadvantage. Of course the obvious disadvantage I find is the impossibility to precisely conventional refer, according to this Calendar, to a social event prior to the beginning of the year and to a likewise social event after the end of that year, since there are no years to count besides the year the society is momently on. I wonder, however, if there is any relevant advantage to it. My guess would be that this Calendar would tremendously restrain the society, as there would be no conventional collective memory nor social future pinpoints apart from the current year, as it would be conventionally impossible to refer to it/them.
These are just some reflections.
From some time now I have been thinking about the idea of a “Loop Year Calendar”, and now I finally have the time to write it on paper. I am not sure if there is such a defined concept already, but I will try to explain. I am referring to a Calendar that encompasses a solar year, but instead of expressing an infinite time (assuming time is infinite) divided by units of year (e.g. ∞ BC to ∞ AD of the Gregorian calendar), the Calendar I’m referring to would not encompass units of year but rather “a” unit of year, i.e. years (plural) would not exist in this Calendar. Regardless of the annual division “that” year would take (for example, in Gregorian calendar the year is divided by months, weeks, days, etc), this Calendar would not be drawn besides that “sole” year, and therefore it would not be able to keep time apart from that current year the society is on.
To give an example:
Gregorian calendar:
5BC, 4 BC, 3BC, 2BC, 1BC, 1AD, 2AD, 3AD, 4AD, 5AD (countable units of year)
“Loop Year Calendar”:
X – X – X – X – X – X – X – X – X – X (uncountable units of year)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->
Arrow=Time
In this “Loop Year Calendar” there are no years to count because there are no years (plural), just a Year (singular), but the Year of this Calendar would still be divisible into months, weeks, days, etc, for example.
To give another example, in Gregorian calendar I can socially refer to any moment that has happened before or will happen in time. I will say “in the year 587 AD, January 12th, this determined event happened”
However, in this “Loop Year Calendar” I will be able to socially refer, regarding any moment that has or will happen in time, as “In January 12th this determined event happened”
So, what is the relevance of all of this? I don’t know, I guess I am just playing with concepts. But I still wonder if this Calendar has any advantage to a society, or disadvantage. Of course the obvious disadvantage I find is the impossibility to precisely conventional refer, according to this Calendar, to a social event prior to the beginning of the year and to a likewise social event after the end of that year, since there are no years to count besides the year the society is momently on. I wonder, however, if there is any relevant advantage to it. My guess would be that this Calendar would tremendously restrain the society, as there would be no conventional collective memory nor social future pinpoints apart from the current year, as it would be conventionally impossible to refer to it/them.
