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 180
... final solution to the problems of mankind , only in the sense that Hitler's extermination program was a final solution for the ' Jewish problem . ' 6 : THE PARADOX OF AUTOMATION Here we face the great paradox of automation , put once ...
... final solution to the problems of mankind , only in the sense that Hitler's extermination program was a final solution for the ' Jewish problem . ' 6 : THE PARADOX OF AUTOMATION Here we face the great paradox of automation , put once ...
Page 228
... final sacrificial victims ; for when the planetary megamachine reaches its terminal point of soulless perfection , the originating human intelligence will have become completely absorbed and thus eliminated . So man's final achievement ...
... final sacrificial victims ; for when the planetary megamachine reaches its terminal point of soulless perfection , the originating human intelligence will have become completely absorbed and thus eliminated . So man's final achievement ...
Page 358
... final delight . In a hundred avant - garde theaters all over the world , the scenario for this ugly ritual has already been written - yes , and partly enacted . What Bazarov's comparatively humane nihilists only began , the savage ...
... final delight . In a hundred avant - garde theaters all over the world , the scenario for this ugly ritual has already been written - yes , and partly enacted . What Bazarov's comparatively humane nihilists only began , the savage ...
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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