For Rails 2, but not Rails 3 you can use these:

object.send(:create_without_callbacks)
object.send(:update_without_callbacks)

For Rails 3, ActiveSupport::Callbacks gives you the necessary control. I was just facing the same challenge in a data integration scenario where normally-desirable-callbacks needed to be brushed aside. You can reset_callbacks en-masse, or use skip_callback to disable judiciously, like this:

Vote.skip_callback(:save, :after, :add_points_to_user)

..after which you can operate on Vote instances with :add_points_to_user inhibited

The following applies to rails 2, rails 3 and rails 4:

http://guides.rubyonrails.org/v3.2.13/active_record_validations_callbacks.html#skipping-callbacks

It provides a list of methods that skip callbacks, explaining why it is dangerous to use them without careful consideration. Reprinted here under the provisions of the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License.

12 Skipping Callbacks

Just as with validations, it is also possible to skip callbacks. These methods should be used with caution, however, because important business rules and application logic may be kept in callbacks. Bypassing them without understanding the potential implications may lead to invalid data.

  • decrement
  • decrement_counter
  • delete
  • delete_all
  • find_by_sql
  • increment
  • increment_counter
  • toggle
  • touch
  • update_column
  • update_all
  • update_counters

This will skip your validations:

vote.save(:validate => false)

more info here

To skipping your callbacks and validations, you can use, update_column v(3.1), or update_all

vote = Vote.first
vote.update_column(:subject, 'CallBacks')

Aparentlly this only works with ActiveRecord 3.1

Or:

Vote.where('id = ?', YourID).update_all(:subject => 'CallBacks')

In the end you have also i finally option and this will skip everthing:

execute "UPDATE votes SET subject = 'CallBacks' WHERE id = YourID"

OK the last one it's not so pretty.