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 57
Page 73
... ideology performed a unique service : it provided a common language , and it opened up a field of practical endeavor ... ideologies , continued to widen . Scientists are more at home among their colleagues in every part of the world than ...
... ideology performed a unique service : it provided a common language , and it opened up a field of practical endeavor ... ideologies , continued to widen . Scientists are more at home among their colleagues in every part of the world than ...
Page 157
... ideology that gave absolute precedence and cosmic authority to the machine itself . When an ideology conveys such universal meanings and commands such obedience , it has become , in fact , a religion , and its imperatives have the ...
... ideology that gave absolute precedence and cosmic authority to the machine itself . When an ideology conveys such universal meanings and commands such obedience , it has become , in fact , a religion , and its imperatives have the ...
Page 158
... ideology to draw on : when forced to face this fact , William Morris , the archetypal craftsman , turned to Marxist ... ideological front the exponents of the older arts and crafts and humanities were helpless : poor in resources ...
... ideology to draw on : when forced to face this fact , William Morris , the archetypal craftsman , turned to Marxist ... ideological front the exponents of the older arts and crafts and humanities were helpless : poor in resources ...
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