The Myth of the Machine, Volume 1An 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 55
... limited by their feebleness : unarmed man , using only his hands , feet , teeth , can do little damage to other men , still less to the en- vironment : even with a stone or a club , his scope is limited , except in at- tacking helpless ...
... limited by their feebleness : unarmed man , using only his hands , feet , teeth , can do little damage to other men , still less to the en- vironment : even with a stone or a club , his scope is limited , except in at- tacking helpless ...
Page 66
... limited in range , and often use archaic , no longer intelligible , expressions , without destroying their efficacy . In short , the superstitious beliefs and rites that seemed to earlier inter- preters of ritual , like James Frazer ...
... limited in range , and often use archaic , no longer intelligible , expressions , without destroying their efficacy . In short , the superstitious beliefs and rites that seemed to earlier inter- preters of ritual , like James Frazer ...
Page 164
... limited territory , but deliberately ' going out of bounds ' to seize raw materials and enslave help- less men , to exercise control , to exact tribute . This new culture was dedi- cated , not just to the enhancement of life , but to ...
... limited territory , but deliberately ' going out of bounds ' to seize raw materials and enslave help- less men , to exercise control , to exact tribute . This new culture was dedi- cated , not just to the enhancement of life , but to ...
Contents
PROLOGUE | 3 |
THE MINDFULNESS OF MAN | 14 |
IN THE DREAMTIME LONG AGO | 48 |
Copyright | |
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abstract achieved activities agriculture ancestors ancient animal Aurignacian became beginning Benedictine Bertrand Gille brain Bushmen Çatal Hüyük cave cave paintings century cities civilization command complex consciousness cosmic creature cultivation divine domestication dream earliest economy economy of abundance effective effort Egypt Egyptian environment established esthetic evidence existence fact functions gods Homo sapiens human culture hunter hunting images institution interpretation Iron Age king kingship labor language later Leonardo London machine Magdalenian magic means megamachine ment merely mesolithic Mesopotamia military mind mode modern myth nature needed neolithic Oakes Ames observation once organization original paintings paleolithic paleolithic art pattern performed physical plants play possible practice primitive production rational religion ritual royal sacred sacrifice sexual significant social society species speech stone Sumer Sumerian survival symbolic technical thousand tion tool-making traits village watermill weapons whole words York