Bureaucracy: Towards the History of the Philosophical Concept

Abstract

Bureaucracy is one of the key concepts in the study of the structure of modern society, the society of "modernity". This concept, which currently has a negative image, often contains truly destructive meanings. However, initially, the understanding of the concept and perception of the phenomenon of bureaucracy itself was much more positive. Thus, F. Hegel and M. Weber emphasized rationalism and the effectiveness of bureaucracy, which was critically rethought by neo-Marxist philosophers in the twentieth century. Therefore, bureaucracy as a philosophical concept must be considered from different points of view, developing a synthetic understanding of this phenomenon. On the one hand, bureaucracy embodies the principles of organization and management that can ensure the effective functioning of society. It presupposes a clear hierarchy, strict rules and procedures, and objective criteria for decision-making. However, on the other hand, bureaucracy can lead to a number of problems and contradictions: slowing down social processes, loss of innovation, lack of flexibility and adaptability. It is the ambiguity in the importance of this concept that causes the value of the history of its understanding by philosophers.