Lewis Mumford
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"Lewis Mumford" (94), Order of the British Empire/KBE (October 19, 1895 – January 26, 1990) was an American historian, Sociology/sociologist, philosopher of technology, and Literary criticism/literary critic. Particularly noted for his study of cities and urban architecture, he had a broad career as a writer. Mumford was influenced by the work of Scottish theorist Sir Patrick Geddes and worked closely with his associate the British sociologist Victor Branford.

Mumford was also a contemporary and friend of Frank Lloyd Wright, Clarence Stein, Frederic Osborn, Edmund Bacon (architect)/Edmund N. Bacon, and Vannevar Bush.

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One of the functions of intelligence is to take account of the dangers that come from trusting solely to the intelligence.

Humor is our way of defending ourselves from life's absurdities by thinking absurdly about them.

New York is the perfect model of a city, not the model of a perfect city.

The city is a fact in nature, like a cave, a run of mackerel or an ant-heap. But it is also a conscious work of art, and it holds within its communal framework many simpler and more personal forms of art. Mind takes form in the city; and in turn, urban forms condition mind.

The artist does not illustrate science (but) he frequently responds to the same interests that a scientist does.

A man of courage never needs weapons, but he may need bail.

Every generation revolts against its fathers and makes friends with its grandfathers.

Traditionalists are pessimists about the future and optimists about the past.

Modern Man is the victim of the very instruments he values most. Every gain in power, every mastery of natural forces, every scientific addition to knowledge, has proved potentially dangerous, because it has not been accompanied by equal gains in self-understanding and self-discipline.

However far modern science and techniques have fallen short of their inherent possibilities, they have taught mankind at least one lesson: Nothing is impossible.

Our national flower is the concrete cloverleaf.