The Myth of the Machine
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The Myth of the Machine is a two-volume book by Lewis Mumford that takes an in-depth look at the forces that have shaped modern technology since prehistoric times. The first volume, Technics and Human
First edition
Division of labour
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The division of labour is the separation of the tasks in any economic system or organisation so that participants may specialise. Individuals, organisations, and nations are endowed with, or acquire,
The Myth of the Machine
…refers to Mumford and the Megamachine when discussing the development of sociotechnics, especially the modeling of nonhuman machines on the large-scale division of labor. Latour concurs with Mumford that "before having any notion of wheels, gears, works, and movements, you first need to have set up the very possibility…
Visiting a Nail Factory by Léonard Defrance (18th century)
Painting of Augustine of Hippo by Pieter de Grebber
Sir William Petty
Fable of the Bees by Bernard Mandeville