Skip to main content

ETHNOS_APP

Home • Search • Journals • List 0

Metaphysical Pathos and the Theory of Bureaucracy

Bibliographic Data

ID3494513
AuthorsAlvin W Gouldner (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, corresponding author)
Year1955
Volume49
Issue2
Pages496-507
Publication date1955-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Political Science Review (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0003-0554 • E-ISSN: 1537-5943
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.2307/1951818
OpenAlexW2046252459
LanguageEN
Citations received89
References cited9

The conduct of a polemic focusses attention on the differences between two points of view to the neglect of their continuity and convergences. No modern polemic better exemplifies this than the controversy between the proponents of capitalism and of socialism. Each tends to define itself as the antithesis of the other; even the uncommitted bystander, rare though he be, is likely to think of the two as if they were utterly alien systems.There have always been some, however, who have taken exception to this sharp contrast between socialism and capitalism and who have insisted that there are significant similarities between the two. One of these, the French sociologist Emile Durkheim, maintained that socialism like capitalism involved an overbearing preoccupation with economic interests. In both socialist and capitalist societies, Durkheim argued, economic concerns were at the center of attention. In Durkheim's view, neither capitalism nor socialism deemed it necessary to bridle materialistic ends; neither society subordinated pecuniary interests to some higher, governing, moral norms. Therefore, "from Durkheim's point of view," writes Talcott Parsons, "socialism and laissez-faire individualism are of the same piece

Bureaucracy · Capitalism · Communism · Economics · Epistemology · Individualism · Materialism · Neoclassical economics · Political science · Politics · Socialism · Sociology · Critical Theory and Philosophy · Economic Theory and Institutions · Law · Philosophy · Weber, Simmel, Sociological Theory

  • Left Out

    Judith Stepan-Norris, Maurice Zeitlin•Left Out•2009

  • Max Weber’s Bequest for European Public Administration

    Open Access•Christian Rosser•The Palgrave Handbook of Public…•2018

  • Mass Communication Research

    Open Access•James D Halloran•Mass Communication Research Methods•1998

  • Peopling Organizations

    Tim Hallett, David Shulman et al.•The Oxford handbook of sociology…•2009

  • The Impact and Interpretation of Weber’s Bureaucratic Ideal Type in Organisation Theory and Public Administration

    Open Access•Haldor Byrkjeflot•Bureaucracy and Society in…•2018

  • G ouldner, A lvin W . (1920–1980)

    Open Access•Charles Lemert•The Blackwell Encyclopedia of…•2018

  • Sociology of organizations in the twenty-first century

    Open Access•Michael Reed•International Sociology•2022

  • ‘Amcu by day, workers’ committee by night’

    Open Access•Luke Sinwell•Review of African Political Economy•2015

  • Dissolving the Iron Cages? Tocqueville, Michels, Bureaucracy and the Perpetuation of Elite Power

    Open Access•David Courpasson, Stewart Clegg•Organization•2006

  • Gender and professionalism

    Open Access•Lee Cataldi, Francesca Tomatis•Organization•2024

  • Who's Afraid of Enterprise

    Open Access•Darren Mccabe•Organization•2008

  • Nice Work? Rethinking Managerial Control in an Era of Knowledge Work

    Open Access•Graham Sewell•Organization•2005

  • The Bureaucratization of Muslim Marriage in Indonesia

    Open Access•Eva F Nisa•Journal of Law and Religion•2018

  • Is a Critical Sociology Possible

    Open Access•John J Sewart•Sociological Inquiry•1984

  • How Institutions Form

    Open Access•Tim Hallett, Marc J Ventresca•American Behavioral Scientist•2006

  • Engineering

    Open Access•Robert Perrucci•American Behavioral Scientist•1971

  • Organization theory and the organization of health care

    Open Access•Celia Davies•Social Science & Medicine Part A…•1979

  • Economic Transition and Accounting System Reform in Vietnam

    Nguyen Cong Phuong, Jacques Richard•European Accounting Review•2011

  • Organization theory and the organization of health care

    Open Access•Celia Davies•Social Science & Medicine Medical…•1979

  • Gouldner's Tragic Vision

    Open Access•James J Chri, James J Chriss•Sociological Quarterly•2002

  • Gouldner's Tragic Vision

    Open Access•James J Chri, James J Chriss•Sociological Quarterly•2001

  • Identifying cohesive subgroups

    Open Access•K A Frank•Social Networks•1995

  • The educated minotaur

    Open Access•Cornelis Disco•Theory and Society•1982

  • Truth Claims and Value-Freedom in the Treatment of Legitimacy

    David Campbell•Journal of Law and Society•1986

  • Contending Paradigms in Public Administration

    Open Access•Nicholas P Lovrich•Administration & Society•1985

  • Rationality and Rhetoric in the Corporate World

    Open Access•Robert White, Rob White et al.•Prometheus•2000

  • Imagine there are no leaders

    Open Access•Joseph A Raelin•Leadership•2014

  • Balancing exploration and exploitation in public management

    Open Access•Pamela Palmi, Angelo Corallo et al.•Journal of Public Affairs•2020

  • Understanding Cooperatives

    Open Access•Yohanan Stryjan•Annals of Public and Cooperative…•1994

  • The transformation of environmental activism

    Christopher A Rootes, Christopher Rootes•Innovation The European Journal…•1999

  • The Imperative of Reason and Rationality

    Kym Thorne, Alexander Kouzmin•Administrative Theory & Praxis•2007

  • Natural resources and the persistence of rural poverty in America

    Patrick C West•Society & Natural Resources•1994

  • Labour in the time of platinum

    Open Access•Gavin Capps•Review of African Political Economy•2015

  • Verstehen and Dialecdtic

    Open Access•John J Sewart, John Sewart•Philosophy & Social Criticism•1978

  • Voluntary Agencies and the Contract Culture

    Ralph M Kramer, Ralph Kramer•Social Service Review•1994

  • The Development of Large-Scale Economic Organizations in Modern America

    Open Access•Alfred D Chandler, Louis Galambos•The Journal of Economic History•1970

  • Beyond Happy Families

    Open Access•Yannis Gabriel, Yiannis Gabriel•Human Relations•1999

  • Representative bureaucracy

    Open Access•V Seymour Wilson, Willard A Mullins•Canadian Public Administration•1978

  • The dismal science of organization reconsidered

    Open Access•H T Wilson•Canadian Public Administration•1971

  • The Emergence of the Egalitarian Organization

    Open Access•Suresh Srivastval, David L Cooperrider•Human Relations•1986

  • Further Thoughts on Experiments in Industrial Democracy and Self-Management

    Open Access•Malcolm Warner•Human Relations•1976

  • Neoclassical Economic Theory, Executive Control, and Organizational Outcomes

    Open Access•Diane L Swanson•Human Relations•1996

  • Working under intensive surveillance

    Open Access•Graham Sewell, James R Barker et al.•Human Relations•2012

  • The Emerging Organizational Synthesis In Modern American History

    Open Access•Louis Galambos•The Business History Review•1970

  • Beyond Ad-Hocracy

    George A Miller•The Pacific Sociological Review•1977

  • Rediscovering the Theological in Sociology

    Open Access•William J F Keenan, William Keenan•Theory Culture & Society•2003

  • The Forum Theory of Organizational Democracy

    John G Craig, Edward Gro et al.•American Sociological Review•1970

  • Bureaucracy and democracy. A critical reading of Alvin W. Gouldner's book Patterns of Industrial Bureaucracy

    Open Access•Anna Vogel, Ann Vogel•European Journal of Sociology•1995

  • Structure and choice in the sociology of culture

    Open Access•Bennett M Berger•Theory and Society•1991

  • A Case for Critical Eclecticism

    Open Access•James D Halloran•Journal of Communication•1983

  • Governmentality Matters

    Open Access•Stewart Clegg, Stewart R Clegg et al.•Organization Studies•2002

  • Inhabited Institutions

    Open Access•Tim Hallett, Marc J Ventresca•Theory and Society•2006

  • Approaching adulthood

    Open Access•W Richard Scott•Theory and Society•2008

  • Japan's Response to the West

    Open Access•William W Lockwood•World Politics•1956

  • The New Labor Activism, a New Labor Sociology

    Open Access•D B Cornfield•Work and Occupations•2023

  • Max Weber

    Open Access•Martin Albrow•Theory Culture & Society•2020

  • Reconceptualizing Crisis

    Open Access•Xiaoying Qi•Sociological Inquiry•2025

  • La legitimidad en las organizaciones

    Open Access•Miguel Beltrán Villalva•Revista Española de Investigaciones…•2024

  • La legitimidad en las organizaciones

    Open Access•Mary Beltrán, Miguel Beltrán•Revista Española de Investigaciones…•1988

  • Navigating a Rough Terrain of Public Management

    Chan Su Jung•Journal of Public Administration…•2012

  • The Value of Local Autonomy

    Ed Page•Local Government Studies•1982

  • Contradictory functional requirements and social systems

    Open Access•Gideon Sjoberg•Journal of Conflict Resolution•1960

  • The New South Wales Labor Party's 1927 Rules

    Scott Stephenson•Australian Journal of Political…•2015

  • A Social Choice Perspective on Expertise and Authority in Bureaucracy

    Thomas H Hammond, Gary J Miller•American Journal of Political…•1985

  • Roberto Michels and the Study of Political Parties

    Open Access•Gordon Hands•British Journal of Political…•1971

  • Expertness and the Span of Control

    Marshall W Meyer•American Sociological Review•1968

  • Value Implications of the Functional Theory of Deviance

    Charles W Wright, Charles Wright et al.•Social Problems•1980

  • Flow of Communications, Expert Qualifications and Organizational Authority Structures

    John Brewer•American Sociological Review•1971

  • The Structure of Charismatic Mobilization

    Open Access•Joel Andreas•American Sociological Review•2007

  • Some Reflections on Student Movements of the 1960s and Early 1970s

    Open Access•Colin Barker•Revista crítica de ciências…•2008

  • Democratic Ideals and Sobering Realities

    Open Access•Hans Joas•Contemporary Sociology A Journal…•2015

  • Beyond cheap labour

    Open Access•Theo Nichols, Nadir Sugur et al.•The Sociological Review•2002

  • Democracy, Organization, Michels

    Open Access•John D’arcy May•American Political Science Review•1965

  • Alvin W. Gouldner and industrial sociology at Columbia University

    Open Access•James J Chri•Journal of the History of the…•2001

  • Are we all overcoming the same thing

    Open Access•Wilbur C Rich•Society•2006

  • Reception of Political Parties by Robert Michels in Poland in an international context

    Open Access•Radomir Miński•Journal of Classical Sociology•2021

  • Critical Dimensions in Human Ecology

    Open Access•James D Miley•Urban Life•1980

  • Concerted Ignorance

    Open Access•J Katz•Urban Life•1979

  • Engaging with Promotional Culture

    Open Access•Alan Aldridge•Sociology•1997

  • Organizational Structure, Environment and Performance

    Open Access•J Child•Sociology•1972

  • Social networks as contexts for engagement and initiative

    Open Access•Xiaoying Qi•Current Sociology•2022

  • Moody's Account of Social Movement Unionism

    Open Access•Michael Schiavone•Critical Sociology•2007

  • Formal Polity and Power Distribution in American Protestant Denominations

    Open Access•K Peter Takayama, Lynn Weber Cannon•Sociological Quarterly•1979

  • Conditions Facilitating Participatory-Democratic Organizations

    Open Access•Joyce Rothschild-Whitt, Joyce Rothschild‐whitt•Sociological Inquiry•1976

  • The Iron Law of What Again? Conceptualizing Oligarchy Across Organizational Forms

    Open Access•Darcy K Leach•Sociological Theory•2005

  • Governmental Bureaucratization

    Open Access•John Markoff•Comparative Studies in Society…•1975

  • Class signature in schools

    Open Access•Janice Goldman, Maureen Scully•Theory and Society•2024

  • The theory behind Theory and Society

    Open Access•Rod Aya•Theory and Society•1982

  • The written and the repressed in Gouldner's industrial sociology

    Open Access•M Burawoy•Theory and Society•1982

  • Max Weber

    A M Henderson•Max Weber•1948

  • On the economic theory of socialism

    Fred M Taylor, Oskar Lange•On the economic theory of socialism•1964

  • Character and Social Structure

    C Wright Mills, H Gerth et al.•Character and Social Structure•2018

  • Structure of Social Action

    Talcott Parsons•Structure of Social Action•1967

  • Tva and the Grass Roots

    Philip Selznick•Tva and the Grass Roots•1984

  • Ideological Groups

    Arthur Schweitzer•American Sociological Review•1944

  • Bureaucracy

    Reinhard Bendix•American Sociological Review•1947

  • Elements of Public Administration

    Ellsworth E Weaver, Fritz Morstein Marx•The Western Political Quarterly•1948

Unique citing works89
Citations per year1,27
Citation span1956 - 2025 (70)
Citation velocityrecent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 89
Ethnos_APP • Open Source Project • MIT License • Frontend v2.0.0 • Privacy and Cookies • API Documentation: api.ethnos.app/docs • API Source Code: GitHub • DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17049435 • Frontend Source Code: GitHub • DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17050053 • cruz.rio.br • Expectantes Misericordiae