Max Weber’s View of Rationality

Rationalization is the action of attempting to explain or justify behavior or an attitude with logical reasons, even if these are not appropriate. It is a process of change by which a society goes through. In rational ways of thinking we’re talking about calculation, specifically we’re trying to calculate what is the most efficient way to do something. We have to put facts before our emotions, beliefs and traditions. Max Weber pioneered and presented the idea of rationalization. For Weber, the increasing rationalization of society, of politics, and of the affairs of humanity was something unique to contemporary times. He believed that societies evolve due to the advancement of science, technology, expending capitalism and bureaucratization. He thought it was the key to understanding modern society and its effect on the individual. He believed in simple words it was the process of replacing traditional and emotional thoughts with reason. For example, a student who fails a test because they did not study hard enough blames their failure on the teacher for using a tricky question. In this situation the student is trying to justify their failure by thinking of excuses whereas the real reason is they didn’t study hard enough. This is a prime example of an individual putting their emotions and beliefs before facts. Four types of rationality are practical rationality which is systematically following rules that are presumes to lead to optimal results, theoretical rationality which is using reasoning and procedures based on abstract concepts and logic, substantive rationality which is adhering to a value system; acting on principles and formal rationality which is systematically following rules that are presumes to lead optimal results. This paper will demonstrate Weber’s thesis on the causes and consequences of rationalization. It will also look at Weber’s beliefs in bureaucracy and how it ties into rationality and their similarities. I will examine Weber’s concern and pessimistic views in relation to the spread of rationalization.

Weber does not claim to know the truth about reality, but he gives his version of it. For Weber, calculation of human actions comes up immensely in his writing, and this ability to calculate and move from old traditional norms can be seen in the rise of capitalism and bureaucracy. According to Weber, rationalization is the central problem of the modern, industrialized world. This is clearly shown in one of the most famous studies, ‘The Protestant Ethic and Spirit of Capitalism’ (1965), where he describes the emergence of rationalism from the turn of events during the time of Protestantism which in turn gives birth to the spirit of capitalism. Weber claims the arrival of the modern capitalist society as a result of cultural, economic and political development. He believed that early protestant beliefs have a major influence with regards to capitalism and rationalization.

An example that can be used to support the calculated ways interpretation is Weber’s writings on bureaucracy. Bureaucracy is an organization with formal procedures and standards; typically having a clear division of labor, explicit rules, and a hierarchy of authority. Bureaucracy’s ability to handle the tasks of an increasingly complex society with relative ease, has significantly changed the social life of individuals. Weber believed that bureaucratic organizations were essential for the operation of the industrial society. He believed that the growth of bureaucracy was a result of the development of new forms of power in industrial society with some individuals exercising more power than others within society and getting others to comply with their wishes whether they agreed with them or not. Weber highlights the superiority of the bureaucratic system when he writes “the decisive reason for the advance of bureaucratic organization has always been its purely technical superiority over any other form of organization” (Weber, p.198). Weber states that bureaucracy is nothing different from the old ways of doing things because it creates a hierarchy where individuals are still at the bottom. At first glance this might present a reasonable challenge but after further analysis, its flaw is evident. This would not be a sufficient argument because Weber states, “according to all constitutions he can be dismissed or resign at any time” (Weber, p.204), the “he” Weber is referring to is a high official in a bureaucratic system. The reality is that because of the effortless movement of ideals and people, bureaucracy enables individuals to cooperate in an efficient manner, which is a result of rational behavior. Weber accepting the bureaucracy has had a tremendous impact on his entire writing because from a sociological perspective, it allows individuals to work together more harmoniously because of the constant flow of activity. Weber argued that the rise of bureaucratically organized states was part of the growing process of rationalization, which accompanied the rise of capitalism.

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For Weber, Western capitalist countries and their inner workings need bureaucracy to run efficiently. With no universality across cultural values, culture stagnates and petrifies; thus, becoming the “iron cage” of which Weber speaks. It shows how individuals are trapped in systems or organizations which run of the principles of efficiency, rationality and control. It shows these individuals being trapped in the ‘cage’ of their own thoughts and emotions. The iron cage reflects the pressure that builds over us due to both others and ourselves to act in certain ways. This pressure sometimes becomes too much but people find it extremely difficult to emerge from their ‘cage’. For the individual, this means that the loss of values in the public sphere leads to the transition of society into the “iron cage”. That is, human beings find themselves in a society organized by formal rationality to an irrational extent. The very irrationality of the “iron cage” is its radical insistence on efficiency and rationality at the expense of emotions, values, and ethical ideals. The loss of values is very dehumanizing for an individual, for they no longer have reason, or morals. In ‘The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism’, Weber presented a carefully researched historical account of how a strong Protestant work ethic and belief in living frugally helped foster the development of the capitalist economic system in the Western world. Weber suggests that the technological and economic relationships that organized and grew out of capitalist production became themselves fundamental forces in society. Therefore, those who are born into the “iron cage” lives out it dictates, and in doing so, these people reproduce inside the cage, those who they reproduce because the very same. For this reason, Weber considered the iron cage to be a massive hindrance to freedom and happiness. Weber's concept remains important to sociologists today because the iron cage of techno rational thought, practices, relations, and capitalism—now a global system—shows no signs of disintegrating anytime soon. Many social theorists and researchers embrace Weber’s idea about the iron cage. They believed that the development of capitalist production intensified the impact of this cage to shape and direct our thoughts and behavior. As society will progress more and more, this abstract cage will become more rigid, ordered, systematic, and dehumanized. People will learn how to come out of the ‘cage’ and return so social loving and be involved with society in a positive and efficient way. Social scientists are also engaged to find solutions to the problems arising due to the influence of iron cage. Weber’s theory on the “iron cage” is said to be a result of fatalistic thinking. His belief was that if someone were to escape from the cage that it would not be because a human being had orchestrated it but rather that it was down to ‘fate’. This restricts people to be creative and spontaneous and are trapped in this cage forever escaping from the traditional and religious ways.

Weber’s theory provides a subjective description of the factors that are thought to influence the various social actions which in turn define a society. He distinguishes between actions and behavior. Action occurs when people make a deliberate or conscious decision based on them trying to attach meaning to their actions. On the other hand, behavior that occurs naturally with very little consciousness.

The essay has critically elaborated Max Weber’s idea of rationality. Rationalism is a continuous process in modern society and will never be fully understood. Behaviors will change over time, what is right and wrong will change and so will the attitudes and actions of human beings. Rationality will change over the years, but the concept Weber proposed will always stay the same, that we need to put facts before our beliefs, emotions and traditions. We cannot let our emotions determine decisions that we make. The future of modern life lies in the intrigues of status, class and party/powers. Rationality does not regard human emotions, traditions, affective human ties and mystery. Instead, human relations are viewed from economic relations, impersonal relationships as well as expertise orientation which he referred to as professionalism. It is clear that Weber never actually provided a direct definition for what rationalization meant. However, it is possible to conclude that because of his strong interest in capitalism and bureaucracy, he meant rationalization is the ability to calculate and systematically change the world. Weber introduces bureaucracy to emphasize rule, ability, and knowledge, which in fact offered an efficient and rational administrative system to society. Weber has precisely defined rationalization. We as individuals find ourselves trapped inside our ideal selves and an ideal world that in reality will never be true. When making decisions we must look at what is true and what will actually happen as a result of our beliefs. Suffice it to say now, Weber’s analysis of rationalization in modern society is a piercing insight into the nature of our contemporary world. Weber has proposed a concept that all in individuals find themselves guilty of at some stage but because of this proposal we have started to act rationally instead if irrationally.