The Mechanic Age

Definition

The Mechanic Age is a period label recalled from Sæcular schooling for an earlier span within the Praxic Age when the laws of dynamics had been worked out and were beginning to be put into praxic (practical) use. In avout descriptions, it names the milieu in which applied mechanics flourished and social contact between avout and Sæculars increased.

Context and Usage

• Placement: presented as an earlier phase inside the Praxic period, before the stream of ideas later grouped as Sconic thought took hold.
• Social texture: after the gates of the Old Maths had been flung open, avout mingled with wealthy and influential Sæculars in salons, supporting themselves by discussion, writing, and tutoring; this is characterized as a notably harmonious exchange between the two worlds.
• State of knowledge: by this time the globe had been explored and charted, and the laws of dynamics were just beginning to enter everyday praxis.
• Period markers: discussions that mention Sconism place it about halfway between the Rebirth and the Terrible Events. In that framing, “Mechanic Age” points to an earlier slice of the same overall span.

Related Terms

• Old Mathic Age: earlier era of liturgical unity; the phrase “gates of the Old Maths…flung open” signals a transition out of it into the wider Sæcular world that characterizes the Mechanic Age usage.
• Praxic Age: the broader industrial era within which this label is situated.
• Rebirth; Terrible Events: named historical boundaries frequently used when situating discussions of this time.

Notes

• Usage and precision: In current material the term surfaces as something memorized in a Sæcular suvin, suggesting an extramuros label rather than a formal mathic period name. Its exact dates and boundaries have not been specified.
• Scope: The label describes atmosphere and practices (applied mechanics, salon culture, avout–Sæcular mingling) rather than a single institution or event.