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 9
Though language was man ' s most potent symbolic expression , it flowed , I shall
attempt to show , from the same common source that finally produced the
machine : the primeval repetitive order of ritual , a mode of order man was forced
to ...
Though language was man ' s most potent symbolic expression , it flowed , I shall
attempt to show , from the same common source that finally produced the
machine : the primeval repetitive order of ritual , a mode of order man was forced
to ...
Page 66
Long after languages of great grammatical complexity and metaphysical subtlety
had been created , the practice of formal repetition , once so necessary , on this
hypothesis , for creating meaning , clung to verbal expression . Even late ...
Long after languages of great grammatical complexity and metaphysical subtlety
had been created , the practice of formal repetition , once so necessary , on this
hypothesis , for creating meaning , clung to verbal expression . Even late ...
Page 83
I mean the fundamental need for autistic expression : an outer manifestation of
the human organism ' s insistent neural activity , and its heightened
responsiveness . This oral need , as Edward Tylor long ago shrewdly noted , was
admirably ...
I mean the fundamental need for autistic expression : an outer manifestation of
the human organism ' s insistent neural activity , and its heightened
responsiveness . This oral need , as Edward Tylor long ago shrewdly noted , was
admirably ...
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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 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
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 |
| Length | 342 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |