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 130
breeding habits of wild animals must likewise be assumed , to account for the first
domestication of animals . This began , it would seem , with the dog , but if
Eduard Hahn was correct , it included such barnyard animals as the pig and the
duck ...
breeding habits of wild animals must likewise be assumed , to account for the first
domestication of animals . This began , it would seem , with the dog , but if
Eduard Hahn was correct , it included such barnyard animals as the pig and the
duck ...
Page 133
The little mesolithic communities became as rooted as the tubers and the mollusc
beds themselves . This indeed was a favorable condition for further experiments
in domestication . The knowledge needed to stimulate such experiments ...
The little mesolithic communities became as rooted as the tubers and the mollusc
beds themselves . This indeed was a favorable condition for further experiments
in domestication . The knowledge needed to stimulate such experiments ...
Page 142
CHAPTER SEVEN Garden , Home , and Mother 1 : DOMESTICATION
ENTHRONED The earliest animal to come under domestication was man ; and
the very word we use to describe the process reveals its point of origin . For '
domus ' means ...
CHAPTER SEVEN Garden , Home , and Mother 1 : DOMESTICATION
ENTHRONED The earliest animal to come under domestication was man ; and
the very word we use to describe the process reveals its point of origin . For '
domus ' means ...
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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 |