About the book
In this interdisciplinary work, John Jordan traces the significant influence on American politics of a most unlikely hero: the professional engineer. Jordan shows how technical triumphs — bridges, radio broadcasting, airplanes, automobiles, skyscrapers, and electrical power — inspired social and political reformers to borrow the language and logic of engineering in the early twentieth century, bringing terms like efficiency, technocracy, and social engineering into the political lexicon. Demonstrating that the cultural impact of technology spread far beyond the factory and laboratory, Jordan shows how a panoply of reformers embraced the language of machinery and engineering as metaphors for modern statecraft and social progress. President Herbert Hoover, himself an engineer, became the most powerful of the technocratic progressives. Elsewhere, this vision of social engineering was debated by academics, philanthropists, and commentators of the day — including John Dewey, Thorstein Veblen, Lewis Mumford, Walter Lippmann, and Charles Beard. The result, Jordan argues, was a new way of talking about the state.
Originally published in 1994.
A UNC Press Enduring Edition — UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.
Editions of Machine-Age Ideology
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780807821237
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780807857366
- EBook
- ISBN 9780807876039
- PDF
- ISBN 9798890864949
Read an Excerpt
In this interdisciplinary work, John Jordan traces the significant influence on American politics of a most unlikely hero: the professional engineer. Jordan shows how technical triumphs — bridges, radio broadcasting, airplanes, automobiles, skyscrapers, and electrical power — inspired social and political reformers to borrow the language and logic of engineering in the early twentieth century, bringing terms like efficiency, technocracy, and social engineering into the political lexicon. Demonstrating that the cultural impact of technology spread far beyond the factory and laboratory, Jordan shows how a panoply of reformers embraced the language of machinery and engineering as metaphors for modern statecraft and social progress. President Herbert Hoover, himself an engineer, became the most powerful of the technocratic progressives. Elsewhere, this vision of social engineering was debated by academics, philanthropists, and commentators of the day — including John Dewey, Thorstein Veblen, Lewis Mumford, Walter Lippmann, and Charles Beard. The result, Jordan argues, was a new way of talking about the state.
Originally published in 1994.
A UNC Press Enduring Edition — UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Machine-Age Ideology about?
In this interdisciplinary work, John Jordan traces the significant influence on American politics of a most unlikely hero: the professional engineer. Jordan shows how technical triumphs — bridges, radio broadcasting, airplanes, automobiles, skyscrapers, and electrical power — inspired social and political reformers to borrow the language and logic of engineering in the early twentieth century, bringing terms like efficiency, technocracy, and social engineering into the political lexicon. Demonstrating that the cultural impact of technology spread far beyond the factory and laboratory, Jordan shows how a panoply of reformers embraced the language of machinery and engineering as metaphors for modern statecraft and social progress. President Herbert Hoover, himself an engineer, became the most powerful of the technocratic progressives. Elsewhere, this vision of social engineering was debated by academics, philanthropists, and commentators of the day — including John Dewey, Thorstein Veblen, Lewis Mumford, Walter Lippmann, and Charles Beard. The result, Jordan argues, was a new way of talking about the state.
Originally published in 1994.
A UNC Press Enduring Edition — UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Machine-Age Ideology?
History and Archaeology > History > History of the Americas
Where can I read a sample of Machine-Age Ideology?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780807821237
How long is Machine-Age Ideology and how many pages does it have?
Machine-Age Ideology has 352 page(s)
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Machine-Age Ideology?
John M. Jordan
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Machine-Age Ideology is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780807821237) and paperback(ISBN 9780807857366) and ebook(ISBN 9780807876039) and pdf(ISBN 9798890864949)
Where can I buy Machine-Age Ideology online or support local independent bookshops?
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Where can I buy Machine-Age Ideology?