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." |
From inside the book
Results 1-3 of 70
Page 172
... automatic unit itself and the auto- matic system , which may contain many different components , not all of them mechanized , or even , until they enter the system , automatic . The automatic machine and the automatic system tend to re ...
... automatic unit itself and the auto- matic system , which may contain many different components , not all of them mechanized , or even , until they enter the system , automatic . The automatic machine and the automatic system tend to re ...
Page 177
... automatic source of power , was provided at an early stage for coarser uses by the watermill : the automatic mine - pumping apparatus shown by Agricola in ' De Re Metallica , ' and the equally automatic silk- reeling machine with ...
... automatic source of power , was provided at an early stage for coarser uses by the watermill : the automatic mine - pumping apparatus shown by Agricola in ' De Re Metallica , ' and the equally automatic silk- reeling machine with ...
Page 474
... Automatic fixations , earlier forms of , 185 Automatic loom , 178 Automatic machine , Comenius ' praise of , 103 ; characterization of , by Marx , 171 Automatic progress , 225 Automatic systems , insulation of , 184 ; primitive nature ...
... Automatic fixations , earlier forms of , 185 Automatic loom , 178 Automatic machine , Comenius ' praise of , 103 ; characterization of , by Marx , 171 Automatic progress , 225 Automatic systems , insulation of , 184 ; primitive nature ...
Contents
NEW EXPLORATIONS NEW WORLDS | 3 |
RETURN OF THE SUN GOD | 28 |
THE MECHANIZED WORLD PICTURE | 51 |
Copyright | |
14 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
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