The Interwar Period as a Machine Age: Mechanics, the Machine, Mechanisms, and the Market in Discourse

Area of Science:

• Cultural history
• History of science and technology
• Social studies of science

Background:

• Post-World War I discourse analyzed machine and new mechanics concepts.
• Key texts include Spengler's "Decline of the West" and Hessen's study of Newton.
• Discourse linked to Weimar culture, Soviet politics, and international intellectual currents.

Purpose of the Study:

• Examine the treatment of machines and mechanization in post-WWI international discourse.
• Identify central features of this wide-ranging discussion.
• Argue for a distinct "machine age" phase in the cultural history of mechanics.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of key texts (Spengler, Hessen, Rathenau, Simmel, Chase, Mumford, Hayek).
• Integration of cultural studies (Dada, film studies of the city).
• Comparative historical analysis of mechanical concepts.

Main Results:

• Machines were thoroughly integrated into social and economic experience.
• The city emerged as a symbol of the "machine age", embodying its significance and ambiguities.
• Concepts of mechanization extended to encompass the economy and market mechanisms.

Conclusions:

• The post-WWI era represents a distinct "machine age" in cultural history.
• The city serves as a potent symbol for understanding mechanical life and its societal impact.
• Mechanization's influence permeated economic and market structures, reflecting broader cultural shifts.