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 31
... observed , correctly interpreting ' The Scientific Outlook , " " is essentially power thought - the sort of thought ... observation of the planets in astrology . Now astrology had long before been condemned by Saint Augustine and other ...
... observed , correctly interpreting ' The Scientific Outlook , " " is essentially power thought - the sort of thought ... observation of the planets in astrology . Now astrology had long before been condemned by Saint Augustine and other ...
Page 59
... observed , it still remains without " blue , yellow , bitter , sweet , beauty , delight , sorrow " -in short , without the most vivid reports of human experience . Existen- tially , the scientific world picture is still under ...
... observed , it still remains without " blue , yellow , bitter , sweet , beauty , delight , sorrow " -in short , without the most vivid reports of human experience . Existen- tially , the scientific world picture is still under ...
Page 91
... observed , since the observation itself de- forms as biologists and physicists have now discovered - the nature of what is observed . The remedy for this embarrassment is a human one , and it was left to a poet to express it . In ' A ...
... observed , since the observation itself de- forms as biologists and physicists have now discovered - the nature of what is observed . The remedy for this embarrassment is a human one , and it was left to a poet to express it . In ' A ...
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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