Irrational Rationality of Terrorism

Abstract

The present article deals with the ontological problem of applying the rational choice frameworks to the study of terrorism. It testing the application of the rational choice to the “old” (before the end of the Cold War) and the “new” (after the end of the Cold War) terrorisms. It starts with analyzing the fundamentals of rationality and applies it at two levels: the individual (actors) and group (collective) via two outlooks: tactical (short-term) and strategic (long-term). The main argument of the article is that while the “old” terrorism can be explained by the rational choice theory its “new” version represents a substantial departure from rationality.

Keywords

• Al-Qaida
• Armed groups
• Asymmetric warfare
• International security
• National security
• Political violence
• Terrorism / counterterrorism