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 117
... already been assembled in dream . What Francis Bacon did in " The New Atlantis ' was to suggest for the first time the kind of organization that would make it possible for these dreams to come true ; not merely to fulfill them , but to ...
... already been assembled in dream . What Francis Bacon did in " The New Atlantis ' was to suggest for the first time the kind of organization that would make it possible for these dreams to come true ; not merely to fulfill them , but to ...
Page 154
... already initiated by the invention of the electric telegraph , the dynamo , and the electric motor . In terms of this variegated , infinitely rich planetary heritage , the prospects offered by the bare mechanical world picture were already ...
... already initiated by the invention of the electric telegraph , the dynamo , and the electric motor . In terms of this variegated , infinitely rich planetary heritage , the prospects offered by the bare mechanical world picture were already ...
Page 272
... already produced a formidable and still growing ruling caste in the United States and Soviet Russia : a caste comparable to the Janis- saries in the heyday of Turkish despotism . The next logical step , as with the Janissaries , would ...
... already produced a formidable and still growing ruling caste in the United States and Soviet Russia : a caste comparable to the Janis- saries in the heyday of Turkish despotism . The next logical step , as with the Janissaries , would ...
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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