The Myth of the Machine: Technics and human developmentAn 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 78
And as these other arts improved , language became better able to fulfill its own
special function , that of summarizing experience in concepts and ideal structures
of increasing complexity . By means of language , each group progressively ...
And as these other arts improved , language became better able to fulfill its own
special function , that of summarizing experience in concepts and ideal structures
of increasing complexity . By means of language , each group progressively ...
Page 221
what was at first an incidental prelude to a token sacrifice itself became the '
supreme sacrifice , ' performed en masse . This ideological aberration was the
final contribution to the perfection of the military megamachine , for the ability to
wage ...
what was at first an incidental prelude to a token sacrifice itself became the '
supreme sacrifice , ' performed en masse . This ideological aberration was the
final contribution to the perfection of the military megamachine , for the ability to
wage ...
Page 278
For only when the habit of using mathematical abstractions became ingrained in
a dominant part of the community could the physical sciences resume the place
they had first occupied in the great trading cities of Ionic Greece . Again , this ...
For only when the habit of using mathematical abstractions became ingrained in
a dominant part of the community could the physical sciences resume the place
they had first occupied in the great trading cities of Ionic Greece . Again , this ...
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Contents
PROLOGUE | 3 |
THE MINDFULNESS OF MAN | 14 |
IN THE DREAMTIME LONG AGO | 48 |
Copyright | |
11 other sections not shown
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Common terms and phrases
achieved activities advances ancient animal association became become beginning body brain called cave century cities civilization collective command complex continued culture divine domestication dream earlier earliest early economy effective effort environment equally established evidence existence experience expression fact forces functions further give hand human hunting important improvement increase institution interpretation invention kind king kingship knowledge labor language later least less limited living machine magic man's material means mechanical megamachine merely military mind myth nature necessary neolithic never noted observation once operations organization original paleolithic performed perhaps period personality physical plants play possible practice present primitive production reason recorded remained ritual seems sexual significant social society speech stone symbolic technical thousand tion took turn village whole York
Bibliographic information
| Title | The Myth of the Machine: Technics and human development Harvest book Volume 1 of The Myth of the Machine, Lewis Mumford The Myth of the Machine; Technics and Human Development, Lewis Mumford |
| Author | Lewis Mumford |
| Publisher | Harcourt, Brace & World, 1967 |
| Original from | the University of Michigan |
| Digitized | 2 Jun 2008 |
| ISBN | 0151639736, 9780151639731 |
| Length | 342 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |