`Author:` [[Lewis Mumford]] `Availability:` ## Summary ## Key Takeaways Mumford’s central concern in _Technics and Civilisation_ is the **relationship between technology and society**, examining how human cultures shape, and are shaped by, tools and machines. --- ### **1. The Three Stages of Technics** Mumford identifies a historical progression in technological development: 1. **Eotechnic Phase (c. 10th–17th century)** - Early modern period. - Tools powered by natural energy: waterwheels, windmills. - Small-scale, localised, and human-centred technology. - Emphasis on craftsmanship and human control. 2. **Paleotechnic Phase (c. 18th–19th century, Industrial Revolution)** - Heavy reliance on coal and steam power. - Mechanisation and factories: technology scaled up for mass production. - Often dehumanising work, requiring long hours in poor conditions. - Society subordinated to machines — early “mega-machine” tendencies. 3. **Neotechnic Phase (c. 20th century)** - Electrical and lightweight power sources (electricity, internal combustion). - Machines become more precise, efficient, and human-centred. - Technology starts to serve human needs rather than merely production or conquest. - Potential for decentralisation and more humane social structures. --- ### **2. Technics vs. Technology** - **Technics**: Tools, devices, and practical know-how; the human-scale application of knowledge. - **Technology**: Systematised, often large-scale, application of tools embedded in social organisation; can be top-down and coercive. --- ### **3. The Social Context of Machines** - Technology is not neutral: it reflects **cultural, economic, and political values**. - Machines and tools influence how societies organise themselves. - Example: Factories and steam engines shaped urban life, work schedules, and social hierarchies. --- ### **4. Critique of Machine Dominance** - Over-reliance on large-scale mechanisation can lead to: - Dehumanisation of labour. - Subordination of humans to machines. - Concentration of power and wealth. - Mumford advocates **human-scale technology**: tools and machines should enhance life without dominating it. --- ### **5. Ethics and Planning** - Technology should be integrated with **ethical and social planning**, not pursued for its own sake. - Society must choose **what kinds of machines and organisation serve human needs**, rather than blindly following technical possibilities. --- ### **Summary** Mumford’s _Technics and Civilization_ argues that **technology evolves in stages, but its impact is always socially determined**. The key lesson is that society shapes machines as much as machines shape society, and human-centred planning is essential to avoid dehumanising “mega-machines.” --- If you wish, Lord Thomas, I can also create a **concise diagram linking the eotechnic, paleotechnic, and neotechnic phases with their social effects** — a very handy tool for study or reference. Would you like me to do that? ## Quotes - ## Notes > [!info] > ![[Technics and Civilisation.jpg]] `Concepts:` `Knowledge Base:` [[Books index]]