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 102
... Comenius , the Moravian teacher and theologian . As a philosopher Comenius established his general theory of teaching on the necessity of order , in its most generalized aspects , but he was completely under the spell of the new ...
... Comenius , the Moravian teacher and theologian . As a philosopher Comenius established his general theory of teaching on the necessity of order , in its most generalized aspects , but he was completely under the spell of the new ...
Page 103
... Comenius elsewhere explains , " it will be no harder to teach schoolboys in any number desired , than with the help of the printing press to cover a thousand sheets daily with the neatest writing . " Close upon this follows another ...
... Comenius elsewhere explains , " it will be no harder to teach schoolboys in any number desired , than with the help of the printing press to cover a thousand sheets daily with the neatest writing . " Close upon this follows another ...
Page 444
... Comenius , John Amos . The Great Didactic . Edited and translated by M. W. Keatinge . London : 1896 . Commoner , Barry . Science and Survival . New York : 1965 . Appraisal of the results of scientific and technological irresponsibility ...
... Comenius , John Amos . The Great Didactic . Edited and translated by M. W. Keatinge . London : 1896 . Commoner , Barry . Science and Survival . New York : 1965 . Appraisal of the results of scientific and technological irresponsibility ...
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 demands 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 ideological 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 nature nineteenth century noösphere 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