Weber’s concept of bureaucratic administration is applied to the Holocaust in Rubenstein’s analysis, wherein the meaning of bureaucracy is described in terms of deeds as opposed to the theoretical definition. Bureaucracy is a government paradigm in which federal officials, rather than specifically elected representatives, make the majority of decisions. From Rubenstein’s work, it is evident that leadership is significantly determined by the acquisition and use of power in relation to moral obligations.
As Jews were massacred en masse by the Nazis, Rubenstein depicted them as captives of the German state bureaucracy. In connection, Max Weber “was convinced that political domination would rest with whoever controlled the bureaucratic apparatus because of its indisputable superiority as an instrument for the organization of human action.” Throughout the text, Rubenstein shows how people were made to behave in certain ways by being forced to comply with those in authority.
The possession and use of weaponry is another element that clearly depicts Weber’s theory as manifested in Rubenstein’s work. There were considerable developments in armament during the period, but no social institutions were in place to ensure that the weapons were used safely. Hitler’s creation of detention centers demonstrates how Nazi Germany perfected the use of dominance and management principles. Rubenstein describes how the residence camps were supplanted by more impersonal, systematized “terror” camps by Hitler.
According to Rubenstein, the Holocaust had unique characteristics, such as the unusual trial of extermination carried out by the sanctioned official bureaucracy. However, the Holocaust’s identity is viewed as an embodiment of the Western world’s most important theological, moral, and political endeavors at civilization in the 20th century. The Holocaust is believed to have emerged from secularized traditions that incorporate a calculation of reason, the attitudes of the Germans, and the success of the German police, in addition to bureaucratic leadership styles.
The Holocaust taught Rubenstein many things, notably the breadth of civilization’s progress and the need to recognize technology’s efficiency. Although Weber discussed the domination of bureaucratic leadership over other forms of governance, he did not foresee how governments would sponsor massacres of their people in one of the “dehumanized” capacities of bureaucracy.
Rubenstein analyzed the Holocaust by providing a visionary endeavor to realize Weber’s diagnosis of modern society’s capacity. He wanted to look at notions that Weber may not have considered to come up with an acceptable theory for the genocide. This way, the Holocaust is seen as an application of bureaucracy in governments coupled with the excessive use of force and deviation from leadership’s moral responsibilities.
The role of technology in the Holocaust is also exemplified through Weber’s theoretical framework. Rubenstein shows how technological innovations had expanded to the level where mass production and possession of firearms were realized. However, there was no regulation from the government as to how and when such an armory would be used.
The Nazi soldiers were required to obey their commanders’ “sine ira ac studio (without scorn and bias),” leading to their active participation in mass extermination. This element depicts Weber’s proposition wherein leaders use the less powerful citizens to accomplish their purposes. In today’s socio-political contexts, leaders have been accused of abusing their power to manipulate other individuals, leading to the untold suffering of the defenseless.