Mythology of the Machine. The History of Mechanisms that Frighten and Captivate Us

Daniel Strassberg examines the relationship between humans and machines through a historical-psychological lens and shows where our modern fears of technology have their roots. At the dawn of technical development, soaring deities of the ancient theater, the flutist, and Jaques... de Vaucanson's duck were primarily intended to amaze the audience. However, mechanisms by their nature evoke in people a mixture of admiration and anxiety; Strassberg calls these complex emotions affects. Fascinating curiosities of the cabinet of curiosities symbolized that God is an omnipotent creator. The invention of the clockwork mechanism paved the way for a mechanistic understanding of the state and nature. The steam engine measured the labor of the worker and inspired the prophets of industrial capitalism. However, our desire to use technology is opposed by a fear of divine punishment, which has been inherent in European culture since ancient times.