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 27
These emergents from the brain ' s activities cannot be described in terms of
mass and motion , electro - chemical changes , or DNA and RNA messages , for
they exist on another plane . If the big brain was an organ for maintaining a
dynamic ...
These emergents from the brain ' s activities cannot be described in terms of
mass and motion , electro - chemical changes , or DNA and RNA messages , for
they exist on another plane . If the big brain was an organ for maintaining a
dynamic ...
Page 28
organization that first receives and records and combines and conveys and
stores up meanings , I shall refer to the brain . The mind could not come into
existence without the active assistance of the brain , or indeed , without the whole
...
organization that first receives and records and combines and conveys and
stores up meanings , I shall refer to the brain . The mind could not come into
existence without the active assistance of the brain , or indeed , without the whole
...
Page 43
human brain serves at once as a seat of government , a court of justice , a
parliament , a marketplace , a police station , a telephone exchange , a temple ,
an art gallery , a library , a theater , an observatory , a central filing system , and a
...
human brain serves at once as a seat of government , a court of justice , a
parliament , a marketplace , a police station , a telephone exchange , a temple ,
an art gallery , a library , a theater , an observatory , a central filing system , and a
...
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Contents
PROLOGUE | 3 |
THE MINDFULNESS OF MAN | 14 |
IN THE DREAMTIME LONG AGO | 48 |
Copyright | |
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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 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 sense sexual significant social society speech stone symbolic technical thousand tion took turn village whole York
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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 |
| ISBN | 0151639736, 9780151639731 |
| Length | 342 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |