People used to think technology hindered the idyllic innocence of life, it is now hailed as America's moral core; past, people attack techniques as unemployment and social disintegration of the signs, he is now touted as the creator of jobs, social prosperity is open and the key to the door of peace; it is a potential past people questioned by the war, it is now praise the guardian of world peace.
After World War II, the US became the world's most prosperous countries and powers, other industrialized countries have capitulated in front of him, by the resources of the world at his disposal. Change all this, comes from industrial development, the beginning of people's disgust industry, but this time, they gave the abomination of everything they brought.
Industrial development seen great changes to people's daily life brought about by the previously believe in God to believe in a later development of science and technology.
This book is like a long story book, about the details of the US industrial technology development process unknown. The book's author David • F • Noble. He wrote many books during his lifetime, it is recognized as the most important one is the "productivity - Industrial Automation social history." The reason is that he sees the development of technology in a new light. This book presents two views:
1, progress is not Darwinian technology, but affected all aspects of the factors of politics, economy, administration and society. Contemporary mainstream views on technological progress, believe that a "success" of technology, we are evolved some kind of "inevitable" way. Modern technological advances ideological assumptions implicit in this one: as technology advances in the process of natural selection. It assumes that people consider all the possible technical solutions, impartial assessment of their own technological advantages, according to the last cold calculation to make the decision for them. Therefore, any successful technology - is widely accepted by the people and eventually became the only solution to a problem - must be the best, because it receives a rigorous test engineering, and stand out in the competitive market. Because it is the best, it eventually became a single line progressive path and technological progress through the ladder. The problem with this view is that, on the one hand it neutral technological development as a spontaneous process, on the other hand pushed it as an economic process of a rational, self-regulation, without involving human rights, system, values and so on. It leaves many important questions: What is the best technique? In terms of who is the best? Why is the best? " Economic viability " and "technical feasibility" not an economic concept or technology concept, but the concept of politics and culture. In fact very few rigorous technical "natural selection." So they are technically and economically feasible, then it is decided to use the social surplus of them in research and manufacturing. It's not just decide to be in accordance with the previous estimate of its economic and technological potential, but also by people who have the power to manufacture their political interests, and is expected to affect the enthusiasm of cultural impulses.
2, the current status of the development of technology towards workers declined, the management has made greater and greater control over the production process in the direction of this view is the same strain with the first point: Since the development of technology is not neutral, then the dominant technology people will inevitably develop their own value judgments to guide the direction of technological progress. And these are the people by the military, scientists and entrepreneurs are.
After World War II the United States for various reasons, to prepare a variety of military expansion, such as aircraft and so on, so in just a few years, a large number of tools available, for the time being to meet the needs of the moment, but the question now is: 1940 years, nationwide only 28% of the machine is the production of 10 years, to 1945, this proportion rose to 62% quickly, just like the beginning people predicted, which resulted in the industry after World War II "the hangover . " A large number of machines will be considered to be out of the rest of the people, it was thrown into the low-cost market, which will enable the machine tool industry had a serious recession.
Government to raise the requirements, manufacturers will intensify its efforts to improve production quality, thus promoting the development of the machine, the machine is closely related to the electronics industry, which provides the electric motor and automatic control equipment for the new machine. In the Great Depression era, military industry and military industry consortium will unite, but also to science and the two form an alliance, while in the hard times, people's belief in the superiority of the technique of giving way to technology lead to unemployment worried, however, in the scientific community that advances in science and technology leading to the door of faith who have sought to identify their point of view, and engineers sectors continued spread of unemployment is further wear this belief.
"Productivity: The Social History of Industrial Automation" This book seems to have been introduced in the United States after World War II, how to prepare for the army, how to further develop the industry further, the middle has gone through many, including the US government a lot of money to the university, Institute company to develop the products they need, the side also reflects the social history of the development of industrial automation. Of course, it is also the focus of industrial upgrading during this period.
There is a demand only requirements, requirements have pressure, pressure will have a future with power, with the power it created a large number of engineers, and promote the development of the industrial revolution, trained a large number of professional and technical personnel can be tested, also invented a lot of new things, which also includes the initial calculation used in the computer industry since the early computers are mechanized, resulting in a lot of wear and tear, the accuracy decreased, so then it also has been improved, although the predecessor of modern computers can be traced to the work of Herman and Charles, but it is still attributed to the birth of research in the military field was applied. Of course, not just a computer, there are other inventions, including inventions in the field of electronics, there are now also still widely used, but not outdated engineering theory, such as automatic control system, a negative feedback system, in fact, at that time has been studied and mature applications, "productivity: industrial automation social history," a detailed introduction to a few examples are still in use, it can be said that science and technology will never walk in the forefront of the times the book inside them, but never, but Time.
Perhaps it is the US government in the preparation of these plans which it promoted the development of technology, if it with the pace of society, advancing slowly, the development of society than it is now also possible later decades. Only the government needs in order to put the country together so many outstanding engineers and common development. As the saying goes, "Three Stooges, the top Zhuge Liang", will have later achievements, but also spawned a lot of other sects, such as "operations research" and so on, these are the by-products in the industrial revolution, on the now these are very important things.
These computer-based technology, is used to maintain America's social and political system, it is the existing political and military power, he was able to make a large number of scientists to achieve their fantastic idea. These new technologies and new theories of determinism in a characteristic form, and contains inherent coercive force. But also reflects the needs of those powerful social class, greatly enhancing their grip on power, let them continue to think the Almighty delusion. Since then, the scientific community and the power elite, in spirit and action come together to jointly maintain world one total control.
Throughout the book gives the impression that in writing a person's passing of time very close contact, of course, in space have also been linked. The book referred to the phrase: "to promote the automation of very complex factors, including the purpose of political and economic technology, which is an important force passionate engineer, he responded human worship of automation and remote control . "As can be seen from a historical perspective, the development of industrial automation not only at the technical level, but also to the political and economic levels. This book is more like a novel, every detail describes in great detail, such as how to improve the computer, engineers are doing the experiment time is how to do this, including the emergence of problems and solutions, the largest book I think it's two data, each data reflects a very specific, like finance and economics book, which reflects more the phrase "development of industrial automation and economy are inseparable."
Development of industrial automation door to the workers brought great benefits, and that is jobs, in just a few years, because of the need of production, post workers increased by more than ten million or more, this is my most like the book where all the details with data to speak, although the data is objective, but also the most true.
Later, with the development of computer control systems, post workers also will be lower, not only will the existing worker layoffs, but also to stop the recruitment of new employees, so that the workers become very unfriendly, not only lost length of service, as well as wages and the corresponding benefits. Some of them only briefly unemployed, they will soon find another job, but for those who are less fortunate, they will never lose their jobs.
As mentioned earlier, before people who question the technology is a potential war, and later praised him as a creator of jobs, and now he brought these workers are unemployed. Unemployment, his office can not be replaced by unionized technicians, which lower its status as members of the union, the fewer resources available for use with power diminished.
But trade unions have come out to speak to the workers: "We should not allow individual workers to bear the cost of this kind of social benefits, employment opportunities and therefore the plant should as much as possible to maintain the workers.", Was once uttered strike.
1964 , the "Oil and Gas Journal" reported confidently: "Automation makes executives effective operation of the plant in case of operator need not union members, he defeated the Institute of Atomic Energy Petrochemical Workers union over the years has never won a strike. , which has three major strikes, they both loss of money, but also a loss of face. "this is automation, not only can achieve high speed, a large, high-precision, low-cost operation, you can also cancel unnecessary costs. Resulting in the tragic situation last place of unemployed industrial workers, workers.
From the final results, we can not believe that we named as "machine" that thing, technology itself is a byproduct of the unconscious, and then through a variety of smart improvements eventually cover the final areas of social life. On the contrary, the law as well as many of the original mechanical inventions themselves for the realization of a mechanical way of life and by the results of conscious effort; hidden motives which are not technical efficiency, but the efficiency of others or divine power, the machine expands these purpose, and provides a material means for their realization. This is Lewis Mumford on "Technology and Invention" published a paragraph, not only embodies the social choice for the kind of vigorous struggle, there is a progressive form of decision-making that bit by bit. Some people do not understand social choice research included machine, which exposes his inability to observe the effect of this cumulative, when the outbreak of these effects eventually come together, they seem like a completely external, inhuman strength.
At first glance this book, that is a brief history of a society, because he says, speaking from the development of industrial automation, see the back, but also thought it was a professional book, because he's from a professional perspective on technical, understand the problem. In fact, these brief history of the development of good, professional books worth mentioning, he is doing one thing, that is, from the perspective of industrial development to look at the impact of changes in technology and updates to mankind, and we can not see with the same industry.
In short, the "economic viability" and "technical feasibility" is not a concept of economic or technical concepts, it is our ideological heritage indicated ---- but political and cultural concepts. Few existing technology through a variety of "natural selection" a very strict system. The reason they in the economic and technically feasible, that is after it decided to use the surplus for social development and their use to invest in. It's not just decide to be in accordance with the previous estimate of its economic and technological potential, but also by those who have a right to make their political interests, and is expected to affect the enthusiasm of cultural impulses.
Visible Not all technology is born equal. While all of the new inventions always in existing "technical solution", the way people and technology workers poses a challenge, because people with suspicion and vigilance is to look upon it. Under normal circumstances, it is only for those who do not meet the expectations of new inventions technical inspection, the so-called inspection, there is simply not economic and technical inspection, but inspection of politics and culture, so they are bound to fail.
The book also mentions about the technical progress of Darwinian principle of survival of the fittest views of praise in every possible way, in fact, he advocated, not so much on the technical or economic advantages, as it is a powerful social rights. For this point of view, this is just a question of legalization, he recognized social rights and their mainstream values, the choice made by social power given to the defense, and to give dignity fate decisions. In doing so, he deceived the whole society, so that people can not see the path to a variety of technologies to choose from, and could not see their own social history, architecture and cultural connotation of reality. For these reasons, any rebuild those technical solutions fail, never choose the path of progress along that can achieve several purposes at the same time. First, you can fill in the historical gaps, and to fight back those anti-historical myth of technological progress. Secondly, let us aware of the existence of technical possibilities of a broader and largely feasible. Finally, the study failed technology program, not only reveal the real process of technological development, but also to reflect the various modes of social rights, cultural values and ideas of the mainstream of technological development.
The book will be every company's development and their works written out in detail, and a brief description of the analysis of their social status, from the side reflects the minds of society at that time everyone already has a mature concept of automation and through semi-automated to bring jobs to the workers, automation again it all away, I can say all this to how fast, there are fast disappearing. All the people seem to think of automation, it is quite simply not a factor in promoting the development of industrial automation.
Even today it seems, a lot of automation theory from that time has been in existence, such as "Space - state" theory, now will learn the theory at the University of subjects inside, there was a theoretical analysis of this complex system, It is obvious that the research is how ahead, never out of date!
