Rationalization is one of the central concepts capturing the spirit of modernity. Max Weber argued that the drive toward rationalization is a key force behind historical transformation, with instrumental rationality emerging as the dominant mode of action in the modern era. Instrumental rationality, in Weber’s formulation, refers to the strategic organization of actions to achieve specific goals. Michael Mann, a prominent historical sociologist influenced by Weber, investigates the development of power relations and their sources by analyzing the means employed by power-wielding actors to realize their objectives. This article explores how Mann adopts and reinterprets the notion of instrumental rationality within his analysis of power, particularly as articulated in his four-volume opus The Sources of Social Power. Through a comparative conceptual analysis, the article examines the positioning of instrumental rationality within Mann’s multidimensional theory of power. It also reassesses Weber’s theory of rationalization in light of Mann’s historical-sociological approach. The central argument is that Mann reconfigures Weber’s theory of power across four dimensions—economic, military, political, and ideological—integrating Marx’s focus on class, Durkheim’s concern for social order, and other theoretical perspectives to construct a robust analytical framework supported by historical evidence. In doing so, Mann expands and deepens Weber’s analysis, presenting rationality not only as a means of instrumental efficiency but also as a dynamic structure capable of responding to and resolving social crises. His work thus brings renewed clarity and critical depth to Weber’s concept of rationality.
Abdulkadir ÖNCEL