Relationship Between Man and Machine in Lewis Mumford’s Technics and Ci

Relationship amongst Man and Machine in Lewis Mumfords Technics and refinement Lewis Mumfords Technics and Civilization is both a chronicle and a critique of the development of engineering science alongside society. Mumford sees the development ofmodern technology as having occurred in trio distinct phasesgreatly oversimplifying, one could say that the phases represent the shift from woods and water to coal and iron and finally to alloy and electricity. The carry is also intensely concerned with the relationship in the midst of war and technology. though the book was written in 1934, its insights transcend the decades and are surprisingly relevant today. An issue concerning us right now, Mumford talks at length roughly the influences of war on technological advancement, in fact, at e real full stop in its modern development it was war rather than industry and craft that showed in complete outline the main features that characterize the machine. 1 We may be inclined to say that warfare, rather than necessity, is the mother of invention. The large majority of new-fangled discoveries and inventions arent discovered by quirky inventors in their basement labs. Instead, we have enquiry and development teams working in large corporations with grants fromthe US Military. It is somewhat unsettling to infer that many of our brightest minds are hired to further their fields under the watchful direction of our military. Of course, many inventions developed by the military make their means into civilian life arguably completely separated from its intended martial(a) use. The most obvious example comes from ARPA (Advanced Research Projects Agency) the Internet. The Department of Defense was very interested in develop... ... backed up with specific examples, and we often ensnare ourselves in awe of his ability to collect, analyze, and interpret so many isolated moments in history. Its an excellent collection of insights into the intimate relationship betwee n man and machine. Works Cited 1. Mumford, Lewis, Technics and Civilization, Harbinger, 1934, pg. 89 2. Ruthfield, Scott, The Internets History and evolution From Wartime Tool to the Fish-Cam, http//www.acm.org/crossroads/xrds2-1/inet-history.html3. Mumford, Lewis, Technics and Civilization, Harbinger, 1934, pg. 216 4. Mumford, Lewis, Technics and Civilization, Harbinger, 1934, pg. 218 5. Mumford, Lewis, Technics and Civilization, Harbinger, 1934, pg. 232 6. Mumford, Lewis, Technics and Civilization, Harbinger, 1934, pg. 151 7. Mumford, Lewis, Technics and Civilization, Harbinger, 1934, pg. 176