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 22
... to interpret the traces of prehistoric architecture in Sumer ; while the circular
clay disks found on Minoan sites remained misidentified until Stephanos
Xanthodides recognized them as the upper disks of potters ' wheels , still in use
on Crete .
... to interpret the traces of prehistoric architecture in Sumer ; while the circular
clay disks found on Minoan sites remained misidentified until Stephanos
Xanthodides recognized them as the upper disks of potters ' wheels , still in use
on Crete .
Page 221
This ideological aberration was the final contribution to the perfection of the
military megamachine , for the ability to wage war and to impose collective
human sacrifice has remained the identifying mark of all sovereign power
throughout ...
This ideological aberration was the final contribution to the perfection of the
military megamachine , for the ability to wage war and to impose collective
human sacrifice has remained the identifying mark of all sovereign power
throughout ...
Page 241
Down to our own time , the expectation of life for an English farm laborer , often
living in a crowded dwelling , eating coarse food , constantly exposed to wind
and rain , remained superior to that of the factory worker , even when the latter
was ...
Down to our own time , the expectation of life for an English farm laborer , often
living in a crowded dwelling , eating coarse food , constantly exposed to wind
and rain , remained superior to that of the factory worker , even when the latter
was ...
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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 |