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 202
... evolution ; but since the two emerged almost simultaneously , they were often , unfortunately , confused in popular thought . Evolution focussed on the central fact of organic life itself . In this evolutionary perspective , mass ...
... evolution ; but since the two emerged almost simultaneously , they were often , unfortunately , confused in popular thought . Evolution focussed on the central fact of organic life itself . In this evolutionary perspective , mass ...
Page 203
... evolutionary developments within the human species , the culture , and the emergent personality , from those purely material advances in tools , weapons , and utensils that colored the nineteenth - century doctrines . But while evolution ...
... evolutionary developments within the human species , the culture , and the emergent personality , from those purely material advances in tools , weapons , and utensils that colored the nineteenth - century doctrines . But while evolution ...
Page 386
... evolution , and confined to a single aspect of that evolution : adaptation and survival through natural selection . This transformation is properly associated with the work of Charles Darwin - though by the very nature of organic change ...
... evolution , and confined to a single aspect of that evolution : adaptation and survival through natural selection . This transformation is properly associated with the work of Charles Darwin - though by the very nature of organic change ...
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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