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 180
... final solution to the problems of mankind , only in the sense that Hitler's extermination program was a final solution for the ' Jewish problem . ' 6 : THE PARADOX OF AUTOMATION Here we face the great paradox of automation , put once ...
... final solution to the problems of mankind , only in the sense that Hitler's extermination program was a final solution for the ' Jewish problem . ' 6 : THE PARADOX OF AUTOMATION Here we face the great paradox of automation , put once ...
Page 291
... final example , selected only because it is regrettably typical . In ' Genetics and the Future of Man , ' a social scientist , highly re- spected as a population expert , has declared that deliberate genetic control is " bound to occur ...
... final example , selected only because it is regrettably typical . In ' Genetics and the Future of Man , ' a social scientist , highly re- spected as a population expert , has declared that deliberate genetic control is " bound to occur ...
Page 319
... final result would be the same : the Big Brain , a universal system of control from which no escape would be possible on this planet - or even from this planet . And yet in one sense this whole totalitarian system , more mon- strous in ...
... final result would be the same : the Big Brain , a universal system of control from which no escape would be possible on this planet - or even from this planet . And yet in one sense this whole totalitarian system , more mon- strous in ...
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