The Medieval Machine Analysis

Finally, the last similarity coinciding in the texts is the concept of adaptability and transformation within the Middle Ages. The Medieval Machine describes the Church’s initial feelings when the mechanical clock was first revealed. Initially, the Church declared the mathematical division of time into units of minutes and hours to have no correlation with the eternity of time. However, as time elapsed, the Church shifted its attitude which, according to The Medieval Machine, “signaled an acceptance of new technology and a readiness to compromise with new ideas” (Gimpel, 169). This directly correlates to Wise’s text as the military industry was constantly adapting to change. For example, in the early Middle Ages, armor was inadequate, …show more content…
Gimpel concludes that development is “dependent on the close relationship between the psychological drive of a society and its technological evolution” (Gimpel, 240). This argument seems plausible as the population must be motivated mentally allowing them to evolve and develop their technology. Gimpel concludes that the decline of medieval Europe in the 14th century corresponds to the United States in the 1970s. He states that the United States has ceased to develop technologically due to less psychological motivation and a focus on aesthetic values. However, since this text was written in 1976, Gimpel was unable to foresee the technological boom that would occur due to the creation of the internet. The assumption made by Gimpel that the United States will decline technologically similarly to medieval society can now be proven wrong. This inaccurate prediction made by the author exhibits just how revolutionary and innovative the internet has been. The most credible argument within both texts is the misconception of the technological development within the Middle Ages. Numerous inventions occurred during the medieval era benefiting society drastically. However, the manuscripts written by Renaissance humanists led most of posterity to believe that medieval society was ignorant of technological development. This argument is supported with a great deal of evidence in both texts. First of all, technological inventions in warfare were flourishing as soldiers needed more advanced weapons and armor. With a plethora of agricultural innovations, crops were cultivated more efficiently, increasing the medieval population as well. Furthermore, the progress in science, mathematics and logic caused the medieval community to look at the world from an entirely new perspective. The arguments made