The Origin of Mass Production

Mass production has been an indispensable science to mankind since its inception in industries around the world. Cars, computers, television sets, light bulbs and other common products including the important food items to feed the global population, that we take for granted are made with such methods. Without these methodologies, phenomenal levels of population and economic growths to-date would be otherwise impossible. Hence it has had a truly profound impact on civilization - warranting a closer look into its emergence.

By definition mass production is the process of increasing manufacturing capacity through innovative methods and new technology that can save time and resources beyond the limits of traditional manual labor. It began in Europe after the Enlightenment from various innovative ideas that evolved through the efforts of many pioneers and collaborated circumstantially.

Historically, Europeans had been mired in ignorant backwardness under their states’ repressive feudal systems for most of the Middle Ages. However, throughout the eighteenth century many European countries went through the Age of Reason. This period of time, also known as the Enlightenment, signified a shift of people's beliefs in religion and the erroneous writings of Greek philosophers and saw a plethora of scientific discoveries that contributed to a new, mechanical and rational world view. The fundamentals of classical mechanics were defined when when the famous Sir Isaac Newton published his three laws of motion and law of universal gravitation. French noble Antoine Lavoisier named oxygen and hydrogen, and helped establish both the metric system and the law of conservation of mass. English chemist Robert Boyle formulated Boyle's law, which stated that the volume of a gas varies inversely with pressure. Scientists like these who contributed to a better understanding of basic physics and the working of gases would have great influence on prospective inventors.

Several social,...