The Myth of the Machine: The pentagon of powerHarcourt, Brace & World, 1970 - Technology and civilization An in-depth look at the forces that have shaped modern technology since prehistoric times. Mumford criticizes the modern trend of technology, which emphasizes constant, unrestricted expansion, production, and replacement. He contends that these goals work against technical perfection, durability, social efficiency, and overall human satisfaction. Modern technology fails to produce lasting, quality products by using devices such as consumer credit, installment buying, non-functioning and defective designs, built-in fragility, and frequent superficial "fashion" changes. "Without constant enticement by advertising," he writes, "production would slow down and level off to normal replacement demand. Otherwise many products could reach a plateau of efficient design which would call for only minimal changes from year to year." |
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Page 363
... Art . Anyone who examined the new images of Dadaism in the nineteen- twenties would have had a first glimpse of the world today . Beginning among the Dadaists with mock art , this movement would soon turn into anti - art , and before ...
... Art . Anyone who examined the new images of Dadaism in the nineteen- twenties would have had a first glimpse of the world today . Beginning among the Dadaists with mock art , this movement would soon turn into anti - art , and before ...
Page 365
... art ' in a visual semantics class . . . . One girl lathered herself with red soap and shaved off an eyebrow , and a ... Anti - art has become in fact the new Establishment , evoking glib encomiums from art critics , grave rationaliza ...
... art ' in a visual semantics class . . . . One girl lathered herself with red soap and shaved off an eyebrow , and a ... Anti - art has become in fact the new Establishment , evoking glib encomiums from art critics , grave rationaliza ...
Page 473
... Anti - art , 267 , 365 Anti - city , [ 10 ] Anti - life , cult of , 361 , 366 ; space explora- tion as mode of , 311 Anti - poverty programs , feedback from , 326 ' Anticipation of the Effects of Mechani- cal Progress , ' 372 ...
... Anti - art , 267 , 365 Anti - city , [ 10 ] Anti - life , cult of , 361 , 366 ; space explora- tion as mode of , 311 Anti - poverty programs , feedback from , 326 ' Anticipation of the Effects of Mechani- cal Progress , ' 372 ...
Contents
NEW EXPLORATIONS NEW WORLDS | 3 |
RETURN OF THE SUN GOD | 28 |
THE MECHANIZED WORLD PICTURE | 51 |
Copyright | |
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absolute abstract achieved activities actually already ancient atom automatic automation Bacon become biological Christian civilization Comenius communication contemporary cosmic culture Descartes destruction dream economy economy of abundance effect electronic energy environment established evolution existence experience exploration extermination fact fantasies final forces Francis Bacon functions further future Galileo habitat Henry Adams idea ideology immense increase industrial institutions intelligence invention Kepler knowledge labor limited machine man's mass production mechanical world picture megamachine megatechnics ment merely method military mind mode modern moral myth nature nineteenth century noƶsphere Norbert Wiener nuclear observed once original Patrick Geddes physical planet plenitude political absolutism population possible potentialities power complex power system practical present progress purpose Pyramid Age quantity reality result scientific scientists social society space subjective symbolic technical Technics and Civilization technocratic tion totalitarian transformation turn ultimate utopia whole York