The awareness of social transformation necessity has been increasingly attracting the attention of researchers to the analysis of barriers of modernization processes. The article is devoted to the analysis of foreign research of the bureaucracy as important precondition of analysis of social development trends, creation of new world pictures and views and understanding of predicted changes effects. The author pays attention to the fact of the conflict of interests between the bureaucracy and intellectuals, which often instigates the intellectuals to turn to a comprehensive study of their opponents as an obstacle to the inevitable transformations. Comprehensive knowledge of the nature and characteristics of bureaucracy allows the intellectuals to see the threats on the path of reforms and to work out strategies to overcome them, “sense the importance” (J. Habermas) of things, which could threaten freedom and creativity, while others are not aware of it. The author argues that study of the bureaucracy provides the intellectuals with the required strength which they use for interpretation and civilized implementation of social changes. In conclusion, the author notes the importance of such research in contemporary Russia.