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 23
... least only faintly and intermittently present . Not merely was arbitrary political power , as exercised under kingship and feudal authority , curbed by representative government , but in New England at least there was a healthy ...
... least only faintly and intermittently present . Not merely was arbitrary political power , as exercised under kingship and feudal authority , curbed by representative government , but in New England at least there was a healthy ...
Page 43
... least as a possibility , the growing regimentation of life could be accepted as a temporary inconvenience , not necessarily a permanent oppression : the frontiers beckoned to those who preferred to get their living from the land . For ...
... least as a possibility , the growing regimentation of life could be accepted as a temporary inconvenience , not necessarily a permanent oppression : the frontiers beckoned to those who preferred to get their living from the land . For ...
Page 110
... least in the mind , between science and technics . He realized that the direct application of systematic thought to practical problems would open up many new possibilities , while in turn new instruments of research , arising from the ...
... least in the mind , between science and technics . He realized that the direct application of systematic thought to practical problems would open up many new possibilities , while in turn new instruments of research , arising from the ...
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