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 148
... operation . Warfare , the activity that had first made such heavy demands on the mine , in turn contributed further to mechanization by reverting in industry to a mili- tary discipline and daily drill , in order to ensure uniform operations ...
... operation . Warfare , the activity that had first made such heavy demands on the mine , in turn contributed further to mechanization by reverting in industry to a mili- tary discipline and daily drill , in order to ensure uniform operations ...
Page 188
... operations of abstract thought with incredible rapidity , are only automatically carrying out in- structions given to them by a mind that does think . Experiment had demonstrated that machines made of solid moving parts can transpose ...
... operations of abstract thought with incredible rapidity , are only automatically carrying out in- structions given to them by a mind that does think . Experiment had demonstrated that machines made of solid moving parts can transpose ...
Page 273
... operation , and accidents apart , its infallibility , given the partial information and the instructions provided by far from infallible human agents . While all these marvellous aptitudes must be freely granted , at least three ...
... operation , and accidents apart , its infallibility , given the partial information and the instructions provided by far from infallible human agents . While all these marvellous aptitudes must be freely granted , at least three ...
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