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Transnational Classes and International Relations
An exciting and original analysis of the development of capitalist classes, such as the Freemasons, that cross national boundaries in the global political economy. This innovative book focuses
* an historical perspective on class formation under capitalism and its transnational integration
* international relations between the English-speaking centre of capital and successive contender states.
The author develops a broad-ranging and thorough understanding of class in the process of globalization. He does so within several theoretical frameworks shedding much light on this important topic.
* an historical perspective on class formation under capitalism and its transnational integration
* international relations between the English-speaking centre of capital and successive contender states.
The author develops a broad-ranging and thorough understanding of class in the process of globalization. He does so within several theoretical frameworks shedding much light on this important topic.
208 pages, Paperback
First published September 24, 1998
47 people want to read
About the author
Kees van der Pijl
24 books19 followersDutch political scientist who was professor of international relations at the University of Sussex.
He is known for his critical approach to global political economy.
Van der Pijl has claimed that Israelis brought down the Twin Towers during the 9/11 attacks 'with help from Zionists in the US government'.
He is known for his critical approach to global political economy.
Van der Pijl has claimed that Israelis brought down the Twin Towers during the 9/11 attacks 'with help from Zionists in the US government'.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 20, 2026
Kees van der Pijl’s Transnational Classes and International Relations (1998) is a seminal contribution to critical international political economy and historical materialist approaches to global politics. Situated within the neo-Gramscian tradition, the book advances a class-based analysis of international relations that challenges state-centric and realist paradigms. Van der Pijl’s central contention is that the dynamics of world politics are best understood through the formation, consolidation, and contestation of transnational class structures rather than through the interaction of sovereign states alone.
At the core of the book is the argument that capitalism has generated transnational ruling classes whose interests, institutions, and ideologies transcend national boundaries. These classes are not merely economic actors but are embedded within networks of political authority, cultural production, and strategic planning. Van der Pijl conceptualizes international relations as the outcome of struggles between different fractions of capital and labor, mediated by state forms and international institutions. In this respect, the book extends classical Marxist insights while incorporating Gramscian notions of hegemony, consent, and historical blocs.
The book is organized historically and analytically. Van der Pijl traces the emergence of transnational class formations from the early development of Atlantic capitalism through the consolidation of Anglo-American hegemony in the twentieth century. Particular attention is given to the role of elite policy-planning networks, multinational corporations, and financial institutions in shaping global governance. These actors, van der Pijl argues, function as the organizational infrastructure of transnational class power, translating economic dominance into political and ideological leadership.
A key conceptual contribution of the work is its treatment of the state. Rather than rejecting the state as irrelevant, van der Pijl reconceptualizes it as a “transmission belt” through which transnational class interests are articulated and institutionalized. Different state forms reflect distinct configurations of class forces, both domestic and international. This perspective allows van der Pijl to explain variation in national political economies without abandoning a structural analysis of global capitalism.
Methodologically, Transnational Classes and International Relations is ambitious and synthetic. Van der Pijl draws on a wide range of historical material, secondary literature, and theoretical sources. His analysis of policy-planning forums, such as transatlantic elite networks, provides concrete empirical grounding for his claims about class coordination and ideological convergence. At the same time, the breadth of the book occasionally comes at the expense of depth, with some historical episodes treated schematically rather than exhaustively.
The book’s normative orientation is explicit but analytically disciplined. Van der Pijl is critical of liberal internationalism and mainstream international relations theory, which he accuses of naturalizing capitalist social relations and obscuring power asymmetries. His class-based framework foregrounds questions of inequality, exploitation, and domination that are often marginalized in orthodox accounts of globalization. However, critics have argued that the emphasis on elite cohesion may understate intra-class conflict and the persistence of national rivalries.
Despite these criticisms, the book’s impact has been substantial. Transnational Classes and International Relations helped to consolidate a research agenda that links global governance, class formation, and hegemony, influencing subsequent scholarship on neoliberalism, global elites, and transnational capitalist networks. It remains a foundational text for scholars seeking to move beyond state-centric explanations of international politics.
Van der Pijl’s Transnational Classes and International Relations is a theoretically rigorous and politically incisive work that reshapes how international relations can be understood through a historical materialist lens. By foregrounding class struggle and transnational power structures, the book offers a compelling alternative to mainstream approaches and continues to provide valuable insights into the dynamics of global capitalism and world order.
GPT
At the core of the book is the argument that capitalism has generated transnational ruling classes whose interests, institutions, and ideologies transcend national boundaries. These classes are not merely economic actors but are embedded within networks of political authority, cultural production, and strategic planning. Van der Pijl conceptualizes international relations as the outcome of struggles between different fractions of capital and labor, mediated by state forms and international institutions. In this respect, the book extends classical Marxist insights while incorporating Gramscian notions of hegemony, consent, and historical blocs.
The book is organized historically and analytically. Van der Pijl traces the emergence of transnational class formations from the early development of Atlantic capitalism through the consolidation of Anglo-American hegemony in the twentieth century. Particular attention is given to the role of elite policy-planning networks, multinational corporations, and financial institutions in shaping global governance. These actors, van der Pijl argues, function as the organizational infrastructure of transnational class power, translating economic dominance into political and ideological leadership.
A key conceptual contribution of the work is its treatment of the state. Rather than rejecting the state as irrelevant, van der Pijl reconceptualizes it as a “transmission belt” through which transnational class interests are articulated and institutionalized. Different state forms reflect distinct configurations of class forces, both domestic and international. This perspective allows van der Pijl to explain variation in national political economies without abandoning a structural analysis of global capitalism.
Methodologically, Transnational Classes and International Relations is ambitious and synthetic. Van der Pijl draws on a wide range of historical material, secondary literature, and theoretical sources. His analysis of policy-planning forums, such as transatlantic elite networks, provides concrete empirical grounding for his claims about class coordination and ideological convergence. At the same time, the breadth of the book occasionally comes at the expense of depth, with some historical episodes treated schematically rather than exhaustively.
The book’s normative orientation is explicit but analytically disciplined. Van der Pijl is critical of liberal internationalism and mainstream international relations theory, which he accuses of naturalizing capitalist social relations and obscuring power asymmetries. His class-based framework foregrounds questions of inequality, exploitation, and domination that are often marginalized in orthodox accounts of globalization. However, critics have argued that the emphasis on elite cohesion may understate intra-class conflict and the persistence of national rivalries.
Despite these criticisms, the book’s impact has been substantial. Transnational Classes and International Relations helped to consolidate a research agenda that links global governance, class formation, and hegemony, influencing subsequent scholarship on neoliberalism, global elites, and transnational capitalist networks. It remains a foundational text for scholars seeking to move beyond state-centric explanations of international politics.
Van der Pijl’s Transnational Classes and International Relations is a theoretically rigorous and politically incisive work that reshapes how international relations can be understood through a historical materialist lens. By foregrounding class struggle and transnational power structures, the book offers a compelling alternative to mainstream approaches and continues to provide valuable insights into the dynamics of global capitalism and world order.
GPT
June 10, 2020
Cranky, disjointed, jargon-filled, something probably mostly wrong but definitely brilliant and possibly useable on every page. Not every book should be like this - that would be a disaster - but more should.
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