本文旨在從韋伯觀點探究西方理性化的產生、發展及其後果。眾所周知，韋伯的社會學研究所關注的焦點是：西方理性化所具有的獨特性以及為何西方文明會獨具此一特色。對此，韋伯試圖透過科學研究探尋宗教與資本主義的關係來開展其理性化理論。職是，韋伯從新教倫理與資本主義精神的層面切入來探究理性化，結果發現理性化後來也並非人們所祈求的一種現象或趨勢，但問題是，現代人似乎已無法逃脫理性化所帶來的束縛與宰制。韋伯將此問題做為其研究主題，且鉅細靡遺地去回溯為何會變成不是原初人們所預期的後果，而這種非預期後果的論證方式，的確在社會科學或社會學領域中有其特殊的參考價值。

This article aims to explore the origin, development and consequence of western rationalization on the perspective of Weber. As is known to all, Weber’s sociological studies focus his topics on the uniqueness and the historical causes of western rationalization. In order to answer such questions, Weber attempted to use scientific method to explicate the relationship between religions with capitalism, and then took this explication as the foundation of his rationalization theory. While Weber analyzed the history of rationalization based on the relationship between religions with capitalism, he discovered that though the consequence of rationalization has never been the phenomenon that people expected and intended, and that the modern persons remained unable to escape from the cage of rationalization. Weber used the discovery as the research topic, and carefully retraced how and why such unexpected and unintended historical consequences had been formed. His argument on unintended consequences has eventually been considered as an important contribution to social science and sociology.