Examples Of Instrumental Rationality

Max Weber believes that every day of our lives, we are living within "an iron cage of rationality". Weber believes that we are greatly trapped in this rationality and it is almost impossible to get out of it. When it comes to rationalization, Weber says "the course of development involves...the bringing in of the calculation in to the traditional brotherhood, displacing the old religious relationship" (Weber pp. 356, 1927). What he meant by this is that many of the social actions taking place were not based on old religious ways or based on kinship or the lineage. These social actions were starting to be based on efficiency and individual motivational behaviors. The behaviors of individuals were being drawn away from that of tradition and values
Instrumental rationality is when you behave in a way in order to get what you want if you have the mental and physical resources to do so. It is about achieving certain goals. For example, attending Rutgers University is a way in which I act in an instrumental-rational way. I enrolled in University because I knew that in order to have money, I need a good career. In order to have a good career, a college education would be of the most benefit for me. Ultimately, my goal is to make a lot of money and so I am behaving in a way that will help me achieve that goal. Looking at the bigger picture, I am also giving money to a bureaucratic organization, Rutgers University. However, I will be benefitted because I am acting in a formally rational way because I know that a college education yields high status as well as greater pay. Furthermore, I know a reason I have for attending University is because it is a norm in our society to do so if you have the resources for
An example of a way in which I submit to rational-legal authority would be when the time for voting comes around. Voting is what allows those individuals that are running for office to be elected for a position. I am one of the many individuals that put our elected leaders where they are and their status is what allows them to rule us. By giving that individual my vote, I am telling them that I am willing to go along with whatever ideas they have to better our society. These choices these rational leaders make are backed up by the law. They have legal authority to tell us what to do because we are the ones that gave them this authority. We accept these individuals as our leaders, and therefore are willing to follow