Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Hasan Tavan ¹
• Kamal Pouladi ²
• Majid Tavasoliroknabadi ³

¹ PhD Candidate of Political Science, Islamic Azad University; Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran

² Assistant Professor of Political Science, Islamic Azad University, Chaloos, Iran

³ Associate Professor of Political Science, Islamic Azad University; Science and Research Branch

Abstract

Introduction
The rationality discussed in this paper is a concept primarily employed in the 20th century by the German sociologist Max Weber. It largely encompasses the dominance over and disenchantment of the external world. Following Weber, Jürgen Habermas, tracing Weber’s disenchantment revived the concept of rationality, through the evolution of forms of consciousness.
The paper’s key question is: How did Western political thought in the modern era become rationalized based on disenchantment and the transformation of forms of consciousness? Our hypothesis is that Western political thought, through a rapture from medieval theology and its connection to philosophical consciousness, was able to rationalize politics. Simultaneously, the prevalence of the empirical method as the dominant scientific approach in the modern era, as well as the rationalization of Christian theology, paved the way for the formation of political rationality. It was then that the state fell from its divine origin and became a human institution. While in the Middle Ages the main goal of states was to follow God’s commands, in the modern era, and in the vision of thinkers like Hobbes, the state became a tool for the preservation of lives.
 
Materials & Methods
The present research focuses on the rationalization of political thought in post-Renaissance Europe. Following the transformation in the field of epistemology and the introduction of the empirical method into this field, the religious practice of Christian people also underwent a significant change. The transformation in epistemology, along with the break from the Christian theology of the Middle Ages, also influenced political thought, and this field moved towards rationality. Methodologically, our work is based on an interpretive approach. Proponents of this approach believe that realities and social relationships are not independent and are considered constructed by humans. The interpretive approach became prevalent in the 1980s as an alternative to the positivist method. The interpretive researcher seeks understanding, which is achieved through empathy with the subject or individuals being studied.
Discussion & Result
The rationalization of Western civilization began in the realm of scientific knowledge and transformations in Christian theology, and then extended to political thought as well. The theory of knowledge (Epistemology) in the Christian Middle Ages did not give much importance to empirical and observational methods. However, with the occurrence of the Renaissance, the scientific and inductive method gained high credibility. This transformation began with astronomy and spread to other areas of knowledge. In this transition process, Aristotelian physics and the Ptolemaic geocentric model collapsed, and empirical methods and mathematical analyses took their place. These changes had a significant impact on people’s worldview. They realized that earthly rules govern the planets, celestial bodies, and even the functioning of the body. Therefore, the new science, based on observation and experience, discarded metaphysical assumptions and magic, contributing to the formation of a rational vision.
Another transformation occurred in the realm of religion; in the sense that gradually, with the emergence of humanism, a break from orthodox Christianity emerged. In medieval society, various areas of knowledge, such as philosophy, religion, and ethics, were not separate from each other and were understood in relation to each other and in relation to Christian theology. As a result, political thought was also discussed under the umbrella of religion. Saint Augustine, an influential Christian thinker, following the collectivist tradition of Aristotle, stated that humans must necessarily be members of the church for salvation. From his point of view, individual will did not play a role in human’s eternal happiness, but with the entry of Christian humanism, these ideas cracked. Christian humanists, such as Petrarch and Erasmus, emphasized individual will and introspection in human happiness. Martin Luther later emphasized the individual aspect of salvation and stated that people, based on the right of self-preservation, could resist tyrannical rulers. Later, the emphasis on the individual and self-preservation paved the way for the formation of social contract theory. Spinoza, from the perspective of political theology, paved the way for the rationalization of political thought. He said that government is a social contract between the people and the ruler. But the person who played the most significant role in this field was Thomas Hobbes. Hobbes, emphasizing the natural right of self-preservation, considered government to be a human construct. He began with the state of nature and described it as a violent and frightening situation, where people live in fear and distrust. Therefore, they submit to a social contract to escape this situation. With this contract, they transfer all their powers to a ruler. In fact, the first and most important duty of government is defined as protecting the lives and property of individuals against the encroachments of others. Thus, Hobbes, using the natural law of self-preservation, reached a social contract and emptied the government of its metaphysical content, transforming it into a secular matter.
Conclusion 
Rationality in the West progressed in three areas: knowledge, religion, and politics. In the area of knowledge, with the beginning of the Renaissance, the use of empirical and observational methods invalidated Aristotelian physics and the Ptolemaic geocentric model. In the realm of theology, Christian humanists, such as Petrarch and Erasmus, emphasized individual will and happiness, broke away from the collectivist tradition of the church, and paved the way for individualism. These changes also affected the realm of political thought. Thomas Hobbes, using the natural law of self-preservation, considered government to be a human construct, whose primary duty is to protect the lives and property of individuals. With this transformation, the disenchantment of the realm of political thought was also completed.

Keywords

• Rationality
• Disenchantment
• Empirical Method
• Social Contract
• structures of consciousness