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 97
... potentialities in our day , in the willingness , on the part of military and political strategists , to give to agents of extermination they have created - nuclear weapons , rockets , lethal poisons and bac- teria - the authority to ...
... potentialities in our day , in the willingness , on the part of military and political strategists , to give to agents of extermination they have created - nuclear weapons , rockets , lethal poisons and bac- teria - the authority to ...
Page 180
... potentialities in the computer makes the contemporary art exhibition shown here ( top ) , in all its pervasive blankness and artful nullity , an ideal representation of its missing dimensions . Those who are so fascinated by the ...
... potentialities in the computer makes the contemporary art exhibition shown here ( top ) , in all its pervasive blankness and artful nullity , an ideal representation of its missing dimensions . Those who are so fascinated by the ...
Page 277
... potentialities for life and growth have been suppressed for the purpose of controlling the fractional energies that are left , and feeding them into a mechanically ordered collective system . Organization Man is the common link between ...
... potentialities for life and growth have been suppressed for the purpose of controlling the fractional energies that are left , and feeding them into a mechanically ordered collective system . Organization Man is the common link between ...
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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