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 79
Page 39
... scientists habitually remained silent about . public affairs and were outwardly if not ostentatiously ' loyal . ' Thus their mental isolation made them predestined cogs in the new megamachine . Aware of this political neutrality ...
... scientists habitually remained silent about . public affairs and were outwardly if not ostentatiously ' loyal . ' Thus their mental isolation made them predestined cogs in the new megamachine . Aware of this political neutrality ...
Page 115
... scientists from being exposed to attacks by the Church and the State , so long as they kept close to their own rabbity thought - warren . The scientists ' aloofness from the social scene , though an excellent temporary protective device ...
... scientists from being exposed to attacks by the Church and the State , so long as they kept close to their own rabbity thought - warren . The scientists ' aloofness from the social scene , though an excellent temporary protective device ...
Page 122
... scientists to claim no personal advantage from their dis- coveries . Though there might be occasional sordid ... scientists . But with the expansion of science as mass technology , the scientist himself no longer need practice self ...
... scientists to claim no personal advantage from their dis- coveries . Though there might be occasional sordid ... scientists . But with the expansion of science as mass technology , the scientist himself no longer need practice self ...
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 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