The Tyranny of the clock

George Woodcock argues that the mechanical clock has become a tyrannical force in modern life, more potent than any individual exploiter, because it turned time into a measurable commodity that industrial capitalism could use to regiment workers. He traces how clocks spread from medieval monasteries and German cities to factories, where employers manipulated clocks and whistles to cheat workers of time. He describes the result as a regimented life that causes health problems and poorer work, and he concludes that clock time should serve only as a means of coordination, not dominate people's lives.