Rationality and international domination: revisiting Max Weber

Abstract

Rationalization, a core concept of Max Weber’s sociology, has so far largely been ignored in International Relations (IR) theory discussions, although his ideas about rationalization open new pathways for theorizing modernity and conflict. We revisit Weber’s concepts of rationalization and domination to show the limits of two key bodies of related knowledge in IR: scholarship on international organizations as bureaucracies and ideas on rationalization in the world polity approach. Rereading Weber’s approach to rationalization provides a distinct ground for our understanding of the current internationalization of rule. We illustrate the contribution our approach to rationalization makes by looking at budget support to sub-Saharan African states, and Mozambique in particular. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications that a critical rereading of Max Weber has for international politics.