Megamachines and Their Discontents

Marcel van der Linden

doi:10.1007/s44206-024-00127-w

Megamachines and Their Discontents

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Even the most radical innovations usually build on considerably older lines of development. In this essay it is argued that the rise of the Information Revolution contains interesting elements that can probably only be properly understood if we keep the long-term in mind. Applying Lewis Mumford’s concept of Megamachines the article shows that the Digital Society is partly based on a number of elements which have been developing over a timespan of roughly 4000 years, including large-scale co-ordinated operations, with disciplined modularization and synchronization. Such Megamachines faced many forms of resistance, the most famous of which became machine-breaking (Luddism). Resistance to aspects of the Digital Revolution also emerged, but it has nowhere taken on a general character.

Originele taal-2	Engels
Pagina's (van-tot)	1-14
Tijdschrift	Digital Society
Volume	3
Nummer van het tijdschrift	2
DOI's	https://doi.org/10.1007/s44206-024-00127-w
Status	Gepubliceerd - 2024

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10.1007/s44206-024-00127-wLicentie: CC BY

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