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 198
... progress was perhaps latent in the Christian notion of self - perfection for divine ends ; and its ideal consummation , if not re- version to the Golden Age , was that of an equally static future in Heaven -a future not to be enjoyed by ...
... progress was perhaps latent in the Christian notion of self - perfection for divine ends ; and its ideal consummation , if not re- version to the Golden Age , was that of an equally static future in Heaven -a future not to be enjoyed by ...
Page 200
... progress were too committed to their doctrine to anticipate that the authoritarian institutions they sought to destroy forever might come back more ... Progress , ' followed by a similar retreat 200 PROGRESS AS ' SCIENCE FICTION '
... progress were too committed to their doctrine to anticipate that the authoritarian institutions they sought to destroy forever might come back more ... Progress , ' followed by a similar retreat 200 PROGRESS AS ' SCIENCE FICTION '
Page 201
... progress but the smug feeling of superiority and security enjoyed by the British upper classes , who thought that in time humane intelligence would assume control of every institution and even ensure that the comforts and luxuries of ...
... progress but the smug feeling of superiority and security enjoyed by the British upper classes , who thought that in time humane intelligence would assume control of every institution and even ensure that the comforts and luxuries of ...
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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