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 232
... moral discipline , social awareness , and responsible political direc- tion : a need that was all too belatedly recognized only by a handful of nuclear scientists at the moment that " bombs of cosmic violence " were finally invented ...
... moral discipline , social awareness , and responsible political direc- tion : a need that was all too belatedly recognized only by a handful of nuclear scientists at the moment that " bombs of cosmic violence " were finally invented ...
Page 352
... moral code , a readiness to sacrifice immediate rewards to a more desirable future . As long as this basic morality , with its taboos , its inhibi- tions , its restrictions and abnegations remained ' second nature ' in the community ...
... moral code , a readiness to sacrifice immediate rewards to a more desirable future . As long as this basic morality , with its taboos , its inhibi- tions , its restrictions and abnegations remained ' second nature ' in the community ...
Page 486
... Moral culture , archaic , 351 Moral debacle , contemporary , 431 Moral evaluation , automation's resistance to , 184 Moral standards , abandonment of , by civilized nations , 233 Moral values , disruption of , 370 Morality , basic , 352 ...
... Moral culture , archaic , 351 Moral debacle , contemporary , 431 Moral evaluation , automation's resistance to , 184 Moral standards , abandonment of , by civilized nations , 233 Moral values , disruption of , 370 Morality , basic , 352 ...
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