''Rationality and Power: Democracy in Practice'' is a 1998 book by
Bent Flyvbjerg, published by the
University of Chicago Press
The University of Chicago Press is the university press of the University of Chicago, a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. It is the largest and one of the oldest university presses in the United States. It pu ...
. The book focuses on "the application of
critical theory
Critical theory is a social, historical, and political school of thought and philosophical perspective which centers on analyzing and challenging systemic power relations in society, arguing that knowledge, truth, and social structures are ...
to urban and community development". Flyvbjerg here deploys the methodology for doing social science, which he developed in ''
Making Social Science Matter'' (2001).
Synopsis
Flyvbjerg focuses on the study of how
power influences
rationality
Rationality is the quality of being guided by or based on reason. In this regard, a person acts rationally if they have a good reason for what they do, or a belief is rational if it is based on strong evidence. This quality can apply to an ab ...
and
democracy
Democracy (from , ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which political power is vested in the people or the population of a state. Under a minimalist definition of democracy, rulers are elected through competitiv ...
. He specifically highlights
Machiavelli's power studies in Florence as a source of influence for the choice of in-depth case studies to understand the dynamics of power and how power enables and constrains rationality and rational government. Flyvbjerg also develops and identifies "ten propositions about rationality and power" that can be used as
grounded theory
Grounded theory is a systematic methodology that has been largely applied to qualitative research conducted by social scientists. The methodology involves the construction of hypotheses and theories through the collecting and analysis of data. G ...
when researching rationality, power, and democracy.
Reception
Upon publication, the ''
International Journal of Urban and Regional Research'' called ''Rationality and Power'' "a notable addition to the literature," the reviewer adding, "I cannot think of a better account of how power relations are embodied in local governance."'
''
The Times Literary Supplement
''The Times Literary Supplement'' (''TLS'') is a weekly literary review published in London by News UK, a subsidiary of News Corp.
History
The ''TLS'' first appeared in 1902 as a supplement to ''The Times'' but became a separate publication ...
'' wrote: "the monumental tedium of its narrative, its picayune Legoland quality, is the book's great strength. This serves Flyvbjerg's argumentative purposes admirably ... Flyvbjerg's genius lies in his unfailing eye for banality, and for discerning the none too
invisible hand
The invisible hand is a metaphor inspired by the Scottish economist and moral philosopher Adam Smith that describes the incentives which free markets sometimes create for self-interested people to accidentally act in the public interest, even ...
of power behind it ... Town planning is the continuation of war by other means. For Flyvbjerg, what is real is not rational, but rationalization ... a world without power is a world without politics. We don't live there. The importance of Flyvbjerg's book is that it acknowledges this fact."
''
The Australian
''The Australian'', with its Saturday edition ''The Weekend Australian'', is a broadsheet daily newspaper published by News Corp Australia since 14 July 1964. As the only Australian daily newspaper distributed nationally, its readership of b ...
'' called the book "the sharpest advance in our understanding of how power actually works since Machiavelli's ''
The Prince
''The Prince'' ( ; ) is a 16th-century political treatise written by the Italian diplomat, philosopher, and Political philosophy, political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli in the form of a realistic instruction guide for new Prince#Prince as gener ...
'' was published in 1532."
Little Rock's
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
The ''Arkansas Democrat-Gazette'' is the newspaper of record in the U.S. state of Arkansas, printed in Little Rock with a northwest edition published in Lowell. It is distributed for sale in all 75 of Arkansas's counties.
By virtue of one ...
wrote: "In ''Rationality and Power: Democracy in Practice'', Bent Flyvbjerg employs a wide-ranging intellect, an enthusiastic and persuasive voice, academic rigor and great discipline to distill years of research into an outstanding and accessible 250-page civics lesson. It begs for a readership outside academic and professional circles ... Flyvbjerg punctuates his narrative with a wonderfully dry sense of the ironic and the absurd. He can be quietly devastating – even subtly prosecutorial – in exposing ... self-interest and hypocrisy ... ''Rationality and Power''
's value is undeniable as a handbook and forensic tool for anyone seeking a better understanding of and access to the democratic process."
Stewart Clegg commented that the book "exemplifies in many ways what is distinctive about Flyvbjerg’s work, as densely textured, ethnographically detailed, and theoretically acute".
See also
*
Power (social and political)
In political science, power is the ability to influence or direct the actions, beliefs, or conduct of actors. Power does not exclusively refer to the threat or use of force (coercion) by one actor against another, but may also be exerted thro ...
*
Rule according to higher law
The rule according to a higher law is a philosophical concept that no law may be enforced by the government unless it conforms with certain universal principles (written or unwritten) of fairness, morality, and justice. Thus, ''the rule accordin ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rationality And Power
1998 non-fiction books
Political science books
Sociology books
University of Chicago Press books