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 59
... existence , billions of years before living organisms appeared : a profound intuition expressed by both Leibnitz and Stallo that was too long ignored . What is more , these ' ultimate ' particles elude direct observation : so what is ...
... existence , billions of years before living organisms appeared : a profound intuition expressed by both Leibnitz and Stallo that was too long ignored . What is more , these ' ultimate ' particles elude direct observation : so what is ...
Page 71
... existence of something that cannot possibly be described " ? Is it not far more absurd to deny that existence ? To dismiss as non - existent what happens to be indescribable is to equate existence with information . Can a color be ...
... existence of something that cannot possibly be described " ? Is it not far more absurd to deny that existence ? To dismiss as non - existent what happens to be indescribable is to equate existence with information . Can a color be ...
Page 308
... existence would be one of the grossest miscarriages of megatechnics . Perhaps this sacrifice has been more willingly made because the ' conquest of space ' has proved , if temporarily , the only substitute yet available for harnessing ...
... existence would be one of the grossest miscarriages of megatechnics . Perhaps this sacrifice has been more willingly made because the ' conquest of space ' has proved , if temporarily , the only substitute yet available for harnessing ...
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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