Etymologically, Chronology is the science of time. But in reality, Chronology is a method of ordering events by date. It is an aid to history. Chronology does not study time, nor has it ever done so. The true study of time is Philochrony. Philochrony is the branch of philosophy that describes the nature of time and demonstrates its existence. Chronology is based first on the Julian calendar and then on the Gregorian calendar. Chronologies are represented by a straight line where events are placed according to the date they occur.
Unlike Chronology, Philochrony classifies beings according to their duration: Eternal, enduring, perishable, ephemeral, and fleeting.
A) Eternal things have no beginning or end, like space. For believers, God and paradise are eternal.
B) Enduring things last a long time. They are divided into:
- Centennial, if they last between 100 and 999 years. For example, the fir tree and the saguaro cactus.
- Millennial, if they last from 1,000 to 999,000 years. Sequoia trees.
- Millionaire, if they last more than a million years. Geological eras, the life of planets and stars.
C) Perishable things are short-lived, lasting from one day to 99 years. The life of a human being.
D) Ephemeral things are short-lived, a few hours.
E) Fleeting things are very short-lived, a few seconds or fractions of a second. The blink of an eye and the beating of a heart.
