The society of society: The grand finale of Niklas Luhmann

This paper introduces Niklas Luhmann's final,work, Die Gesellschaft der Ges ellschaft (The Society of Society). According to Luhmann, sociologists have failed to produce even a partially adequate theory of society. Epistemolog ical obstacles and humanist concerns for rationality and justice have preve nted true progress in the discipline. With his "radically antihumanist, rad ically antiregional, and radically constructivistic " social system theory Luhmann intends to bring about a sociological enlightenment. Die Gesellscha ft der Gesellschaft focuses on communication as the only genuinely social p henomenon. Social systems differentiate and evolve as they communicate in t hree separate dimensions: the social, temporal, and functional. The path of evolution results from a history of variation, selection, and restabilizat ion within these discussions. Communication, bit by bit, produces social st ructures that, recursively, produce future structures. Society is communica tion. Sociology, as the science of society: is communication about how diff erent societal systems operate, communicate, evolve, and maintain their bou ndaries.