Research
Limits
Ceilings on growth, use, and scale, from planetary boundaries to the size of a tool.
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Why more makes less
Self-sabotage, iatrogenesis, nemesis: what Illich meant by each, and the named laws, from road congestion to software, that describe the same pattern.
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Ellul, Charbonneau, and Illich
Illich called Jacques Ellul his master. Ellul said his best-known book belonged as much to Bernard Charbonneau as Ellul himself. What the two men from Bordeaux saw first, and what Illich did with their ideas.
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Limits are a design brief
For tool design, limits and scope are not obstacles to engineer around; they define the most essential features — the ones that will not be included.