The Myth of the Machine: The pentagon of powerHarcourt, Brace & World, 1967 - Technology and civilization An 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 132
... population lived in the countryside ; and though the proportion varied from region to region , as late as 1940 four - fifths of the population of the planet , according to the French geographer Max Sorre , lived in agricultural villages ...
... population lived in the countryside ; and though the proportion varied from region to region , as late as 1940 four - fifths of the population of the planet , according to the French geographer Max Sorre , lived in agricultural villages ...
Page 298
... population of the world an easy prey to military conquest and exploitation , with the characteristic historic mischief of ' civilization ' : the subjugation of a large population for the exclusive benefit of a ruling minority . So far ...
... population of the world an easy prey to military conquest and exploitation , with the characteristic historic mischief of ' civilization ' : the subjugation of a large population for the exclusive benefit of a ruling minority . So far ...
Page 336
... population , coupled with the invention of the first cheap , popular contraceptives - mainly the sterilizing douche - slowed down the rate of increase to such an extent in countries like France and England that population experts , as ...
... population , coupled with the invention of the first cheap , popular contraceptives - mainly the sterilizing douche - slowed down the rate of increase to such an extent in countries like France and England that population experts , as ...
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absolute abstract achieved activities actually already ancient atom automatic automation Bacon become biological Christian civilization Comenius communication contemporary cosmic culture Descartes destruction dream economy economy of abundance effect electronic energy environment established evolution existence experience exploration extermination fact fantasies final forces Francis Bacon functions further future Galileo habitat Henry Adams idea ideology immense increase industrial institutions intelligence invention Kepler knowledge labor limited machine man's mass production mechanical world picture megamachine megatechnics ment merely method military mind mode modern moral myth nature nineteenth century noösphere Norbert Wiener nuclear observed once original Patrick Geddes physical planet plenitude political absolutism population possible potentialities power complex power system practical present progress purpose Pyramid Age quantity reality result scientific scientists social society space subjective symbolic technical Technics and Civilization technocratic tion totalitarian transformation turn ultimate utopia whole York