Social Systems (1984)

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In social systems. Outline of a general theory , Niklas Luhmann presents the basic concepts and decisions of his sociological systems theory on 661 pages . The work was written in 1983 when Luhmann was able to concentrate on the summary of the views he developed with the help of the German Research Foundation . It is the first complete summary of the theory components that have arisen up to that point. The goals, prerequisites and theses described therein as well as the development of essential basic terms remained unchanged in their validity in the following years, in which Luhmann presented further works on various social systems, up to the conclusion of the main work Die Gesellschaft der Gesellschaft (1997).

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"Paradigm Shift in Systems Theory"

Niklas Luhmann refrains from further interpretation and application of the writings of the classics of sociology and in this sense from the continuation of the old European tradition and logic in the formation of theories about society. He refers to a "paradigm shift in systems theory" and in doing so puts new guiding differences and ways of thinking at the beginning, which he took from the development of systems theory and which was not far back then (1950s to 1970s; from Talcott Parsons and Gregory , among others Bateson ). Luhmann replaced the traditional difference between whole and part with the difference between system and environment and the paradigm of open systems with the theory of (closed) self-referential systems. Luhmann extends these substitutions by also applying the term autopoiesis to social and psychological systems; this is a central innovation that Luhmann summarized in this work and embedded in his theory. A basic self-reference is located at the level of the constitution of the eventual elements of the system; This means that the unity of a social or psychological system and with it the eventual elements of which it consists (thoughts or communications) are created or “produced” (poiein) by the system itself (autós). Thoughts follow thoughts and thus form a closed psychic system. Communications follow communications and thus form a closed social system.

Basic concepts and basic decisions

In the main chapters, Luhmann explains the basic concepts and basic decisions of his theoretical system and distinguishes the concepts from their traditional use. In this delimitation and new description, the achievement that Luhmann has presented with this work can be seen. The further elaboration of the theory and the associated description of the functional differentiation of society into different systems (science, economy, art, etc.) followed in the years that followed.

The presentations deal with the adoption of the phenomenological concept of meaning in the description of psychological and social systems, with the assumption of a double contingency , which arises from a mutual lack of transparency of the psychological systems (consciousnesses) for one another, as an essential prerequisite for the formation of social systems with which Elaboration of a special system-theoretical communication concept , with the main difference between system and environment, with the simultaneous and mutually dependent development of psychic and social systems (" interpenetration "), with the inclusion of further sociological topics and concepts such as structure, contradiction, conflict, society that were current at the time as well as with epistemological conclusions.

reception

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The work was received by individual researchers from almost all areas of science, for example in legal philosophy , and for systemic advice . Ideas of this work and other works by Luhmann were repeated z. B. critically discussed by Jürgen Habermas .

literature

Primary literature

Social systems. Outline of a general theory. Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt am Main 1984, ISBN 3-518-28266-2 .

Secondary literature (selection)

  • Daniel Zolo: Reflexive Self- Justification of Sociology and Autopoiesis. In: Soziale Welt 36, 1985, pp. 519-534.
  • Dirk Baecker , Jürgen Markowitz , Rudolf Stichweh (Eds.): Theory as Passion. Niklas Luhmann on his 60th birthday. Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt am Main 1987.
  • Hans Haferkamp , Michael Schmid (ed.): Sense, communication and social differentiation. Contributions to Luhmann's theory of social systems. Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt am Main 1987.
  • Werner Krawietz, Michael Welker (ed.): Critique of the theory of social systems. Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt am Main 1992. ISBN 978-3-531-15177-9 .
  • Georg Kneer , Armin Nassehi (ed.) Niklas Luhmann's theory of social systems. Wilhelm Fink Verlag, Munich 1993. ISBN 3825217515 .
  • Andreas Metzner: Problems of Socio-Ecological Systems Theory - Nature and Society in Luhmann's Sociology. Westdeutscher Verlag, Opladen 1993, ISBN 978-3531124711 ( full text ).
  • Andreas Göbel: Theory as problem genesis: A problem-historical reconstruction of the sociological systems theory of Niklas Luhmann. Universitätsverlag Konstanz, Konstanz 2000, ISBN 3-87940-702-9 (Zugl .: Essen, Univ. Diss. 1999).
  • Claudio Baraldi, Giancarlo Corsi, Elena Esposito : GLU. Glossary on Niklas Luhmann's theory of social systems . Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt am Main 2003, ISBN 3-518-28826-1 (reprint; stw 1226).
  • Christian Schuldt: Systems Theory . 2nd Edition. European Publishing House, Hamburg 2006, ISBN 3-434-46153-1 .
  • Walter Reese-Schäfer : Niklas Luhmann for an introduction. Junius, Frankfurt am Main 2001, ISBN 3-88506-305-0 (up to the 3rd edition as Luhmann for introduction ).
  • Dirk Baecker: Why systems? 2002, ISBN 3931659232
  • Thomas Latka: Topical social system. 2003, ISBN 3896703218
  • Gralf-Peter Calliess : Luhmann / Teubner system theory. In: Sonja Buckel (Ed.), Ralph Christensen (Ed.), And Andreas Fischer-Lescano (Ed.): New Theories of Law. UTB, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 3825227448 .

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Reese-Schäfer, Walter: Niklas Luhmann for introduction, 1999, p. 73
  2. ^ Social Systems , 1984, p. 14
  3. ^ Social Systems , 1984, p. 15
  4. ↑ Ibid., P. 22; P. 24
  5. ↑ Ibid., P. 60
  6. ↑ The Science of Society , 1990, p. 30
  7. ^ Gunther Teubner: Law as an autopoietic system , Frankfurt am Main 1989
  8. ↑ See e.g. B. Jürgen Habermas: The philosophical discourse of modernity , Frankfurt am Main 1985