The Myth of the Machine: Technics and human developmentAn 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 62
the mechanical order of ritual may have been a benign alternative to a
compulsion neurosis . By means of ritual , I suggest , early man first confronted
and overcame his own strangeness , identified himself with cosmic events
outside the ...
the mechanical order of ritual may have been a benign alternative to a
compulsion neurosis . By means of ritual , I suggest , early man first confronted
and overcame his own strangeness , identified himself with cosmic events
outside the ...
Page 67
Ritual opened the path to the intelligible and the meaningful , and finally to
constructive effort of every kind . This essential function of ritual was long ago
perceived by Friedrich Schiller , though in following the romantic revolt against
tradition ...
Ritual opened the path to the intelligible and the meaningful , and finally to
constructive effort of every kind . This essential function of ritual was long ago
perceived by Friedrich Schiller , though in following the romantic revolt against
tradition ...
Page 338
na 10gintings , Recessives , 131 Ritual sacrifice , 149 Reed , music - making ,
114 Ritual union , sacred , 146 Regularity , 177 ; economic Rituals , ancient , Con
- importance of , 272 fucian revival of , 89 ; Reign of terror , royal , 185 danger of ...
na 10gintings , Recessives , 131 Ritual sacrifice , 149 Reed , music - making ,
114 Ritual union , sacred , 146 Regularity , 177 ; economic Rituals , ancient , Con
- importance of , 272 fucian revival of , 89 ; Reign of terror , royal , 185 danger of ...
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Contents
PROLOGUE | 3 |
THE MINDFULNESS OF MAN | 14 |
IN THE DREAMTIME LONG AGO | 48 |
Copyright | |
11 other sections not shown
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Common terms and phrases
achieved activities ancient animal association became become beginning body brain called cave century cities civilization collective command complex continued culture divine domestication dream earlier earliest early economy effective effort environment equally established evidence existence experience expression fact forces functions further give hand human hunting important improvement increase institution interpretation invention kind king kingship knowledge labor language later least less limited living machine magic man's material means mechanical megamachine merely military mind myth nature necessary neolithic never noted observation once operations organization original paleolithic performed perhaps period personality physical plants play possible practice present primitive production reason recorded remained ritual seems sexual significant social society speech stone symbolic technical thousand tion took turn village whole York
Bibliographic information
| Title | The Myth of the Machine: Technics and human development Harvest book Volume 1 of The Myth of the Machine, Lewis Mumford The Myth of the Machine; Technics and Human Development, Lewis Mumford |
| Author | Lewis Mumford |
| Publisher | Harcourt, Brace & World, 1967 |
| Original from | the University of Wisconsin - Madison |
| Digitized | 19 Sep 2007 |
| ISBN | 0151639736, 9780151639731 |
| Length | 342 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |