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 4
... the material instruments of production the central place and directive function
in human development , but that even the seemingly benign interpretation of
Teilhard de Chardin reads back into the whole story of man the narrow
technological ...
... the material instruments of production the central place and directive function
in human development , but that even the seemingly benign interpretation of
Teilhard de Chardin reads back into the whole story of man the narrow
technological ...
Page 31
Yet this whole picture of cosmic evolution in terms of quantitative physical
existence , with its immeasurable time and immeasurable space , reads quite
differently if one returns to the center , where the scientific picture has been put
together ...
Yet this whole picture of cosmic evolution in terms of quantitative physical
existence , with its immeasurable time and immeasurable space , reads quite
differently if one returns to the center , where the scientific picture has been put
together ...
Page 42
A whole year must usually pass before an infant can walk : a still longer period
before its babblings take form in recognizable human speech and effective
communication . If speech is not acquired before the fourth year , it usually cannot
...
A whole year must usually pass before an infant can walk : a still longer period
before its babblings take form in recognizable human speech and effective
communication . If speech is not acquired before the fourth year , it usually cannot
...
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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 |