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 124
... material advances and scientific audacities . Unlike some of his more rigorous successors , Bacon was even ready to admit some cogency in dreams , or some reality in the hypnotic powers of the imagination - elusive and dangerous though ...
... material advances and scientific audacities . Unlike some of his more rigorous successors , Bacon was even ready to admit some cogency in dreams , or some reality in the hypnotic powers of the imagination - elusive and dangerous though ...
Page 127
... material goods , of environmental control ; that quantitative productivity is an end in itself , and that every means should be used to further expansion . This was a defensible position in the seventeenth century , when an economy of ...
... material goods , of environmental control ; that quantitative productivity is an end in itself , and that every means should be used to further expansion . This was a defensible position in the seventeenth century , when an economy of ...
Page 175
... material abundance , and remote control . Central to these magic aspirations was , for obvious reasons , material abundance ; this proved indeed to be the tempting immediate bait that concealed the collective trap of external power and ...
... material abundance , and remote control . Central to these magic aspirations was , for obvious reasons , material abundance ; this proved indeed to be the tempting immediate bait that concealed the collective trap of external power and ...
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