Double Closure of Social Systems

Niklas Luhmann applied autopoietic systems theory to social systems theory by laying stress on ‘communication’ or ‘communicative events’ as a component of social systems. It is frequently said that such social systems are ‘operationally closed’ and ‘cognitively open’ at the same time. To explain why social systems should be defined ‘operationally closed’, I will ‘refer’ to Parsons' version of social systems theory that has been criticized as ‘oversocialized’. Then, I will use two keys to understand the operational closure of social systems and psychic systems. One is the distinction between ‘input type description’ and ‘closure type description’, the other is the ‘double closure of systems’ concept proposed by Heinz von Foerster.