Old Europe and Us

A review essay on a book by Niklas Luhmann, Die Gesellschaft der Gesellschaft ([The Society of Society] Frankfurt am Main, Federal Republic of Germany: Suhrkamp, 1997) examines Luhmann's theory of society in the context of the current state of sociology, its relationship to its study of society, & efforts to flesh out a theory of modern society. Luhmann's central focus on functional systems & systems theory, which sees differentiation & system creation as the fundamental markers of modern society, is discussed. His work is compared to conceptualizations of society as a whole (risk, knowledge, or information society) & sociology's ambivalent relationship to society & other disciplines. The complexity of Luhmann's theory & its underlying principles (eg, autopoiesis) are explored, & their impact is assessed. Paradoxes inherent in the self-observation & -description of society through communications in this theory are described. It is concluded that Luhmann has returned to sociology a scientific & reflexive discussion of society that allows the observation of the function of forms of reflection, eg, religion, philosophy, & science in society, offering an opportunity to apply the empirical tools of science to a theory of modern society. T. Arnold