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 55
... living human beings ; though many properties that the organism actually shares with other physical bodies can be handled with equal effectiveness on Kepler's principles . Both Kepler and Galileo held that organisms cannot , so to say ...
... living human beings ; though many properties that the organism actually shares with other physical bodies can be handled with equal effectiveness on Kepler's principles . Both Kepler and Galileo held that organisms cannot , so to say ...
Page 87
... living phenomena reacting within a living environment , becomes so complex that it can only be reproduced and apprehended intuitively in the act of living , since , at least in man , it in- cludes mind and the infra- and ultra ...
... living phenomena reacting within a living environment , becomes so complex that it can only be reproduced and apprehended intuitively in the act of living , since , at least in man , it in- cludes mind and the infra- and ultra ...
Page 385
... living organism , for it lent itself to more accurate objective description . What remained indescribable by this method was the dynamic , multifunc- tional living organism . The realization that organic forms have produced a model for ...
... living organism , for it lent itself to more accurate objective description . What remained indescribable by this method was the dynamic , multifunc- tional living organism . The realization that organic forms have produced a model for ...
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 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