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 167
... power complex originally had their place and performed their indispen- sable functions . What the power complex did was to wrench these separate components from their organic matrix and enclose them in an isolated sub- system centered ...
... power complex originally had their place and performed their indispen- sable functions . What the power complex did was to wrench these separate components from their organic matrix and enclose them in an isolated sub- system centered ...
Page 430
... power system became visible and operative . From the eighteenth century on , the ideal of mechanical regu- larity and mechanical perfection entered into every human activity , from the observation of the heavens to the winding of clocks ...
... power system became visible and operative . From the eighteenth century on , the ideal of mechanical regu- larity and mechanical perfection entered into every human activity , from the observation of the heavens to the winding of clocks ...
Page 431
Lewis Mumford. favor of the power system and against the human personality , one need only remember how absurd such a withdrawal , such a rejection , such a challenge seemed to most ... power system was EPILOGUE : THE ADVANCEMENT OF LIFE 431.
Lewis Mumford. favor of the power system and against the human personality , one need only remember how absurd such a withdrawal , such a rejection , such a challenge seemed to most ... power system was EPILOGUE : THE ADVANCEMENT OF LIFE 431.
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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