Luddite?

The Luddites were a movement in the 19th century that resisted the introduction of mechanised devices that replaced their skilled labour, specifically in the textile weaving industry. Their resistance seems to mainly have been to the introduction of external power versus human power in the production process. The introduction of automated weaving of patterned textiles (i.e. the Jacquard loom) is perhaps more pertinent to us now, as it foreshadows the decline of "craft" industries, the modern automation of manufacture, and (via punched paper cards) the development of the digital computer as we know it, thanks to Babbage/Ada Lovelace/Turing et al.

I came across an interesting article about the meaining of the luddite movement here.

BACK    

© Ian Swain 2019