7/27/2019 Introduction - Observing Luhmann

1/3

http://asj.sagepub.com/Acta Sociologica

http://asj.sagepub.com/content/43/1/3.citationThe online version of this article can be found at:

DOI: 10.1177/000169930004300101

2000 43: 3Acta SociologicaRoar Hagen

Introduction: Observing Luhmann

Published by:

http://www.sagepublications.com

On behalf of:

Nordic Sociological Association

can be found at:Acta SociologicaAdditional services and information for

http://asj.sagepub.com/cgi/alertsEmail Alerts:

http://asj.sagepub.com/subscriptionsSubscriptions:

http://www.sagepub.com/journalsReprints.navReprints:

http://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.navPermissions:

What is This?

- Jan 1, 2000Version of Record>>

at Univ of Education, Winneba on August 10, 2013asj.sagepub.comDownloaded from

http://asj.sagepub.com/http://asj.sagepub.com/http://asj.sagepub.com/content/43/1/3.citationhttp://asj.sagepub.com/content/43/1/3.citationhttp://asj.sagepub.com/content/43/1/3.citationhttp://www.sagepublications.com/http://www.sagepublications.com/http://nordicsociologicalassociation.org/pub/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=63&Itemid=30/http://asj.sagepub.com/cgi/alertshttp://asj.sagepub.com/cgi/alertshttp://asj.sagepub.com/subscriptionshttp://www.sagepub.com/journalsReprints.navhttp://www.sagepub.com/journalsReprints.navhttp://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.navhttp://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.navhttp://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.navhttp://online.sagepub.com/site/sphelp/vorhelp.xhtmlhttp://online.sagepub.com/site/sphelp/vorhelp.xhtmlhttp://asj.sagepub.com/content/43/1/3.full.pdfhttp://asj.sagepub.com/content/43/1/3.full.pdfhttp://asj.sagepub.com/http://asj.sagepub.com/http://asj.sagepub.com/http://online.sagepub.com/site/sphelp/vorhelp.xhtmlhttp://asj.sagepub.com/content/43/1/3.full.pdfhttp://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.navhttp://www.sagepub.com/journalsReprints.navhttp://asj.sagepub.com/subscriptionshttp://asj.sagepub.com/cgi/alertshttp://nordicsociologicalassociation.org/pub/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=63&Itemid=30/http://www.sagepublications.com/http://asj.sagepub.com/content/43/1/3.citationhttp://asj.sagepub.com/

7/27/2019 Introduction - Observing Luhmann

2/3

Introduction: Observing Luhmann

Roar Hagen

Department of Sociology, University of Troms, Norway

From his inauguration as a professor at the

University of Bielefeld in 1968. Niklas Luh-manns research project was to develop a theoryof society. This was presented in several mono-

graphs on the different function systems ofmodern society and was concluded with histwo-volume magnum opus on the Society ofSocietyDie Gesellschaft der Gesellschaft, 199 71.

To fulfil his program Luhmann had to

develop sociology as general theory, to clarifyits vocabulary, and to invent new concepts. He

did this in a truly interdisciplinary spirit. Inparticular, he made use of advances within thefield of general systems theory, wherein he foundthe inputs he believed sociology needed.A

system must always be seen in relation to itsenvironment; social systems are closed and do

not import elements from the outside. Theirinternal events are not caused by events in theenvironment. Only because the system is closedcan it be open to observe itself as a system in an

environment. Social systems are autopoieticsystems that produce themselves of out of theirown operations. Luhmann also proposed a new

conception of the basic social element. Social

systems are not made up of human beings, andnot even of actions, but consist only of commu-nication as the synthesis of the differentiation

among information, utterance and understand-

ing. Human bodies are not part of social systems.but belong to the environment. Not evenconsciousness can communicate.

Onlycommu-

nication can. The main contribution in this field

is his Social Systems (Soziale Systeme, 1984).With respect to this unity of a theory of

society and general theory as a system of

concepts. Niklas Luhmanns new systems the-

ory is today without rivals (for an updated list ofreferences to Luhmanns rather voluminous

production, see Soziale Systeme 1998:4, ? 3 3-

264). Luhmann has a new proposal for whatmodern

societyis about and the concepts we

could use to analyse it. His theory promises to

fertilize discussions on several of sociologysmost important subjects. Unfortunately sociol-

ogy has so far been reluctant to take up the

challenge. True enough, within Germany,Luhmanns work belongs to the canon and iscounted among the classics of the sociologicaltradition. There, he is among the most cited

authors, and some of his presumptions seem tohave acquired the status of self-evident truths,in particular his views concerning the over-

complexity and non-governability of modernsociety. That is perhaps not so good either.

Outside Germany the response has thus farbeen modest. Translations of the works are few,

and his main work within general theory,published in 1984. appeared in English only in1995. Luhmanns suggestions are to a largeextent neglected or rejected on the false premisethat his work is simply a continuation of TalcottParsons systems theory. Luhmann therefore is

often known best through the writing of hisopponents. However, it could be that the

concept Jurgen Habermas has extracted fromLuhmanns project and incorporated into hisown framework in terms of system integrationis not at all the same concept of system that we

find in Luhmanns own writings.This is an unfortunate situation. On the

one hand, the English-speaking social science

community needs systems theory to shake off itsmatter-of-course uses of terms like action,actor and systems as relations of actions. Onthe other hand, systems theory could do with alittle more discussion on the status of the same

terms within its own paradigm. The aim of this

special issue of acta Sot,iologica is to contribute tothis kind of cross-fertilization.

In the first article, Rudolph Stichweh

explains why the concepts of action and systemare not real theoretical alternatives to each

other, and what led Luhmann to replace actions

at Univ of Education, Winneba on August 10, 2013asj.sagepub.comDownloaded from

http://asj.sagepub.com/http://asj.sagepub.com/http://asj.sagepub.com/http://asj.sagepub.com/

7/27/2019 Introduction - Observing Luhmann

3/3

4

with communications as the constitutive ele-

ments of society. Stichweh is well qualified forthis task.As both a student of Luhmann and

now professor in the Faculty of Sociology at the

University of Bielefeld, he has intimate knowl-

edge of the subject.Dag 0sterberg begins his contribution with

an attempt to substantiate the claim that

Luhmann is a conservative thinker who sprin-kles his text with ideological and cynicalremarks. This disfigures the subject matter ofI,uhmanns work, but is in itself not a sufficient

reason to reject its basic tenets. Osterbergsmain critique is directed against Luhmanns

imaginary and equivocal use of the term

functional differentiation, which allows himto conflate differentiation and autonomization.

Osterberg argues that a more plausible accountof modern society is achieved through a blend ofthe theories of Karl Marx and Talcott Parsons.

The concept of functional differentiation

implies that subsystems are observed as usefulor harmful to society by society, but, accordingto Luhmann, modern society is without anyapex or centre which might make this observa-tion.

Instead of trying to resolve this ambiguityby taking recourse to the alternatives ofnormative integration proposed by action the-

ory, Hagen attempts in his article to provide anew solution to the problem of order within theframework of systems theory. By rethinkingcollective action as communication, he developsa concept of collective rationality that allows thetheorist to appreciate how the public economyand the welfare state have the capacity to guidethe

operationsof other

subsystemswhenever

there is a process of communication bringingforth what he calls rational solidarity.

NilsAkersrmAndersen in his article deals

empirically with the state and market asalternative mechanisms for allocating resourcesto the subsystems of medical treatment and carefor elderly people. Based on a study of an

attempt at privatization taking place in Den-mark,Andersen shows that when the codes for

determiningsocial needs are to be

coupledwith

resources by organizations oriented towards

profit, new complexities arise for the business

organization. The surprising conclusion to his

analysis is that the political code threatened toswallow up the economic one, and in fact it was

private business that found it in its best interest

to withdraw from this confused and alienenvironment. In the end privatization led tomore politics, not less.

The last article in our collection is written

by the rare case of a French philosopher with aninterest in Luhmanns systems theory. JeanClams main focus is on the concept of the

operation as a social systems sole constituent. Itis a risky undertaking of Luhmann to build histheoretical edifice on a concept involving a

protologic that has a precarious standing bothwithin and outside systems theory. Clam seeksto demonstrate that the notion of operativity as

pure actuality is not without antecedents. He

goes on to show how Luhmann inaugurates anew type of relation between a theory of societyand the foundational or categorical work of

philosophy.The effort behind this special issue ofActa

Sociologica is motivated by a conviction that

Luhmanns contributions to sociological theoryhave not yet been allotted the necessaryattention for the debate to reach a point ofsaturation where a verdict on what should be

accepted and what is to be rejected within this

huge intellectual effort can be made. Fortu-

nately, systems theory is itself an example ofwhat it calls a super theory, and that shouldmake the task of assessing it easier. Supertheory, which at first could be seen as an insultto a

sociologythat has dismissed

aspirationstowards grand theory, may actually represent anew possibility for epistemological grounding.

As a theory that covers everything, includingitself, systems theory knows that it is its owninvention.As a closed system of self-referential

premises, everything can be looked upon anddiscussed, not at the same time, but in turn from

one or another place in the system. With respectto their self-awareness as scientific construc-

tions,super

theories are revisable and humble

projects.

at Univ of Education, Winneba on August 10, 2013asj.sagepub.comDownloaded from

http://asj.sagepub.com/http://asj.sagepub.com/http://asj.sagepub.com/http://asj.sagepub.com/