Reflection On Technocracy From The Perspective Of Risk Society Theory

From the beginning of the 1930 s,the American technocracy movement have had a wide range of influence on a global scale,and profoundly shaped the political form and management model of the world today.The scientific and technical experts in various fields claim that they should grasp the power of decision-making and management to ensure the order and efficiency of social functioning.Then the claim has become the invisible ideology of western developed societies now.However,when the development of modernity makes the social production of risk beyond the social production of wealth and become the primary problem,the logic of risk distribution gradually began to replace the logic of wealth distribution.At this time,the uncertainty source of society has changed,which is reflected in the lifestyle,power structure,knowledge mode and many other areas.The objective and effective claim of normal science has been invalid,and also the certainty,reliability,authority of technical experts.In a word,the legitimacy of technocracy has suffered a crisis.This paper attempts to analyze the problems of technocracy in the present society.And the analysis will use the theory of risk society put forward by the German sociologist Ulrich Beck in the 1980 s.Then the paper try to explore the possibility of the transcending of technocracy: that is,in the risk society technical experts should be achieved from the “rational magistrate” to “honest broker”.The role of change should also build a more pluralistic and opened relationship with the public.