Technology, Rationality, Institutions, and Social Development

Author: Lu Jiangbing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-06-01
Features: Although the study of public administration is based on philosophy, there has long been a phenomenon of disconnection between philosophy and public administration research, often described as "two separate skins." This book examines the philosophical aspects of public administration organizational theory, proposing a converging perspective between public administration and philosophy—"organization" and "institution." It conceptualizes the historical development of human society as a dynamic three-dimensional structure, grounded in technological advancements and their outcomes as the material foundation, guided by rational concepts and their evolution as the directional framework, and regulated by institutional construction and norms as control mechanisms. Through an historical and contemporary study of the interrelationships between organization, rationality, technology, and institutions, it concludes that the ultimate basis of social development lies in the transformation of ownership relations. Therefore, in terms of organizational development, the ideal form of human social organization is the realization of the "free association of individuals."