What are the advantages and disadvantages of rationalization for greater control of society?

Since you have tagged this with "sociology," I assume that
you are talking about the process of using knowledge to achieve greater control of the
societies in which we live.

The major advantage of
rationalization is that it can make society more efficient and fair.  A society with
rationalized laws and procedures can act more efficiently than one that operates on an
ad hoc basis.  When laws are implemented rationally, people in
similar circumstances are treated in the same ways.  This is fairer than a less rational
system.

However, there are disadvantages.  A rationalized
system is one that is rule-bound and bureaucratized.  People who are simply applying
rules often have a hard time seeing the differences between individual cases and
applying rules in ways that cater to the needs of the individuals rather than to the
letter of the rules.

A rationalized society, then, is more
efficient and fair, but it can also be inhumane and impersonal.