Is Webers Concept of Instrumental Rationality Useful Today - Essay Example

Is Weber’s concept of instrumental (or formal) rationality useful today? Affiliation The question whether Weber’s concept of instrumental (or formal) rationality is useful in today’s world, generates a lot of evaluation. Evidently, there are those cases that indicate its contribution in everyday lifestyles that would, otherwise, be more irrelevant if it was not applied. On the other hand, there are, with almost similar magnitude, consequences that have been brought about by this concept. However, its importance in the current world is very significant. Rationalization is the procedure of substituting customary and emotional thought with purpose and realism. Weber alleged that most civilizations throughout history were ruled by tradition and that the most important trend in contemporary sociology is a growing rationalization of every part of our daily lives. The growth of scientific study, the improvement of entrepreneurship, and the introduction of civil service into government over the past two centuries or so are all major cases of this trend. Instrumental rationality is regularly viewed as a definite form of rationality centering on the most effective or cost-effective resources to attain a definite end, but not in itself redirecting on the significance of that end. It can also be explained as a way of thinking about the world which in some senses stops us thinking about non-instrumental values so that more and more things are unimportant except in terms of some end goal. Therefore, to the point that rationality is involved with critically assessing activities, instrumental rationality has an inclination to emphasis not on the “whys of an activity, rather, the how’s (Bennis, 1967, p. 22). Moreover, it can be compared to forms of rationality, either by improving human comprehension on a much common level or with promoting the human condition. It encompasses the rational scheming of means to ends grounded on commonly practical laws rules, and regulations. It is established on such large-scale constructions as the capitalist economy, current law and bureaucracy. The selection of means to ends is defined by these larger constructions and their laws and rules. Weber’s concept of formal rationalization seems to be quite useful in many areas in todays’ world as the world has adapted to it (Bendix, 1956, p. 279). Formal rationalization has influenced in shaping the current capitalization in the society. Opposition has risen against in relation to the theory of formal rationality and its inferences for capitalist society. Its principles of proficiency in the dominions of economic and social society have endorsed the development and affluence of the modern western capitalist society (Grey, 2013, p. 8). Consequently, problems have arisen in that; this fast development has led to a society that we dwell in within an “iron cage” of restrictions. The easiness, in which an individual can live a life without these restrictions, with full independence and liberty, has been notably reduced with the increased bureaucratic thought in present times (Gay, 2013a, p. 54). Formal rationality enforces order on the civilization we live in through stern and measureable terms with judgments mostly rooted on unanimously applied regulations and rules that work hard towards foreseen efficiency. It has, therefore, led to the increase of bureaucracy whish Weber described as target-focused establishments formed in relation to rational principles so as to effectively achieve the specified objectives (Gay, 2013b, p. 29). Similarly, bureaucratic institutions are known to firmly govern and shape human behavior. Present society’s organizational standards like, church, education, military, business and government tend to have some measure of this official influence. According to Weber, these organizations carry out coherent social activities with the critical goal of realizing the organization’s official goals (Taylor, 1919, p. 20). While searching for the finest means of realizing a particular goal under formal rationality, individuals are not left to their personal strategies. Instead, they can use current structures, regulations and rule that either prearrange the ideal means or assist them into discovering them. Therefore, it is evidently a huge growth in the history of the world. In the previous years, individuals had to learn such instruments on their own or with only overall and general assistance from greater value structures. But in today’s world, we no longer have to learn for ourselves the ideal means to some particular end, since that ideal means has now been revealed (Stone, 1973, p. 23). It has been integrated into the structures, regulation and of our social organizations. It, in most cases, has led into making decisions that ignore the values and needs actors, therefore suggesting that substantive rationality is insignificant. Formally rational economic system is one of the many examples (Edwards, 1979, p.133). The necessities that come to be realized and stressed on are ones for which actors are capable of outbidding others since they have plenty of money, and not because those necessities are more human worth or of much importance. Therefore, profits are the prime focus, more than the concerns of humanity. Weber seems to emphasize on this humanity disrespect in a formally rational economic structure (Merton, 1940, p. 564). Consequently, the present world appears to have indicated Weber’s forecast about formal rationality. It is evident that it has steered to massive economic growth through capitalism, though, at the expense of emotion, custom and moral values (Gray, 2013). He feared that the open-ended component of life would be lost in the bureaucratic revolution. In addition, he was afraid that the present world, so influenced by these coherent principles would lead itself into a world that lacks naturalness, resourcefulness as well as imagination (Gerth &Mills, 1948, p. 262). A good demonstration is evident in the secondary education, where teachers are expected to cover particular topics. They are also expected to assess and grade using categorized techniques gearing towards national and federal certified consistent assessment. As a matter of fact, it has not only led to the predominance of bureaucracy and enlarged economic growth, but has also created an emotionless, more controlled world (Boddewyn, 1961, p. 104). The slowly diminishing of substantive rationality was mourned by Weber since it exemplified the Western society’s uppermost standards. That is to say, it vanished from the free and independent person whose activities were stabilized by their regard to decisive values. Instead of the previous individuals whose deeds were steered by these high principles, people were left in the current world whose people only go by the rules with no respect to larger human values (Edwards, 1979, p.103). Weber saw bureaucracy as the epitome of formally rational domination. Rationalization of bureaucracy transforms with technical means, in standard, like every other economic reform. Initially, it alters the social and material orders, through people, by altering the circumstances of adaptation, and maybe the chances for adaptation, through a rational purpose of means to ends. A portion of bureaucracy is made on instrumental rationality, although instrumental rationality is a much superior thing (Hoxie, 1918, p. 127). In conclusion, formal rationality can be viewed as an aim focused rational behavior to attain a goal without thought to broader social traditions, values, or emotions. It involves technical thinking by an individual, resulting to rational results. It, however, should be put into consideration, its negative implications and be reviewed so as to prevent its rather harmful consequences. Weber’s most forecasts he had on rationalization have come to pass, with most of them contributing to a positive development of the greater world. And although his views had no solid base which has continued to stir up continued controversies, some areas, as discussed above, indicated his theory’s validity and its importance in the current world. The educational, agricultural, musical, capitalization as well as the bureaucratic rationalization, is evidently revolutionized, and a clear cut between the traditional one and the current is quite evident. His theories have, indeed, helped in shaping today’s world. Bibliography: Bendix, R, 1956. Work and Authority in Industry ideologies of Management in the Course of. 5th ed. New York: John Wiley and Sons . Bennis, W. G, 1967. The Coming Death of Bureaucracy Management Review. 5th ed. Business Source Premier: EBSCOhost,. Du Gay, P, 2013. Notes on Aspects of the Conceptual Architecture of the New Spirit: Weber . 5th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Du Gay, P, 2013. New Spirits of Public Management Post-Bureaucracy. In P. Du Gay and G. . 5th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Edwards, R, 1979. Contested Terrain Heinemann. 5th ed. London: Heinemann Professional. Gray, C, 2013. A Very Short, Fairly Interesting and Reasonably Cheap Book About Studying . 5th ed. London: Sage. H. H. Gerth and C. Wright Mills (1948). The Meaning of Discipline . 5th ed. London: From Max Weber Routledge & Kegan Paul. Hoxie, Robert Franklin, 1918. Scientific Management and Labor . 5th ed. London: D. Appleton and Co. J. Boddewyn (1961) Frederick Wilmslow Taylor Revisted J. A. M. (August). Merton, R, 1940. Bureaucratic Structure and Personality . 5th ed. new York: Social Forces . Stone, K, 1973. Origins of Job Structure in the Steel Industry Radical America. 5th ed. USA: Praeger. Taylor, F. W, 1919. The Principles of Scientific Management . 5th ed. New York: Harper Brothers & Co. Read More