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 240
Though peasants were sometimes conscripted for mining operations , as well as
for war , so repellent was this labor that for the greater part of history only slaves
or criminals were assigned to the mines : it was " confinement with hard labor ...
Though peasants were sometimes conscripted for mining operations , as well as
for war , so repellent was this labor that for the greater part of history only slaves
or criminals were assigned to the mines : it was " confinement with hard labor ...
Page 268
Though the Benedictines had helped to lift the curse of exhausting manual labor
and had equalized its burdens to a larger degree than ever before — at least
within their own community — they were not under the illusion that all forms of
work ...
Though the Benedictines had helped to lift the curse of exhausting manual labor
and had equalized its burdens to a larger degree than ever before — at least
within their own community — they were not under the illusion that all forms of
work ...
Page 333
268 Labor organization , mili - Leatherstocking , 104 Luther , Martin , 276 tary
pattern for , 216 Leather - tanning , 109 Luzon , 155 Labor - freeing machines ,
Leibnitz , Gottfried Wilhelm , 31 Labor - saving , 193 ; doubts Leisure , burden of ,
204 ...
268 Labor organization , mili - Leatherstocking , 104 Luther , Martin , 276 tary
pattern for , 216 Leather - tanning , 109 Luzon , 155 Labor - freeing machines ,
Leibnitz , Gottfried Wilhelm , 31 Labor - saving , 193 ; doubts Leisure , burden of ,
204 ...
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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 |