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 230
... Henry Adams , who saw the import of this change well before there was an adequate history in either department . More than half a century ago , he perceived that there had been a constant increase in energy and an acceler- ated use from ...
... Henry Adams , who saw the import of this change well before there was an adequate history in either department . More than half a century ago , he perceived that there had been a constant increase in energy and an acceler- ated use from ...
Page 231
... Henry Adams sought scientific aid for his interpretation , he was unable to enlist it : so unfortunately , in search of some sort of theoretic scaffolding , he attached his observations to a quite irrelevant physical prin- ciple ...
... Henry Adams sought scientific aid for his interpretation , he was unable to enlist it : so unfortunately , in search of some sort of theoretic scaffolding , he attached his observations to a quite irrelevant physical prin- ciple ...
Page 232
... Adams was not at home in a world where human intentions counted and human actions , though quantitatively insignificant , might sometimes , as J. Clerk Maxwell believed , be decisive . But if Henry Adams failed to give an adequate ...
... Adams was not at home in a world where human intentions counted and human actions , though quantitatively insignificant , might sometimes , as J. Clerk Maxwell believed , be decisive . But if Henry Adams failed to give an adequate ...
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absolute abstract achieved activities actually already ancient atom automatic automation Bacon become biological Christian civilization Comenius contemporary cosmic culture Descartes destruction dream economy economy of abundance effect effort electronic energy environment established evolution existence experience exploration extermination fact fantasies final forces Francis Bacon functions further future Galileo habitat Henry Adams idea ideology 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 myth nature nineteenth century noƶsphere Norbert Wiener nuclear observed once original Patrick Geddes physical planet plenitude political absolutism 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