The interpretation of Max Weber's theory of social rationalization is one of the most controversial topics in the specialized literature concerning the thought of the author. Aiming to address this complex issue, this article summarizes the conclusions of the main commentators who deal with the issue and describes the Weberian concepts of formal and material rationality, and theoretical and practical rationality, placing them in the writings of Max Weber. Based on this exegetical survey, the article points out to some limits of the secondary literature and highlights some of their implications for understanding the sense that the theme of rationality and rationalization takes in the corpus of Weber's works.
Weber; Rationality; Rationalization; Intellectualism