Re-conceptualizing Law and Politics

Contributions from Systems Theory

Bibliographic Data

ID4778006
AuthorsDomenico Tosini (0000-0002-2298-8158, University of Trento, corresponding author)
Year2006
Volume35
Issue2
Pages123-125
Publication date2006-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueContemporary Sociology A Journal of Reviews (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0094-3061 • E-ISSN: 1939-8638
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/009430610603500209
OpenAlexW2001836542
LanguageEN
Citations received3

or indeed, at even more abstract level, of a general theory of social systems. 3 According to Luhmann, social systems have to be understood as (operatively closed, to use his expression) networks of communications. Communi- cation is the operation characterizing social systems within the more embracing set of systems (other members of the set are living, nervous, and psychological systems), and as such delimits the field of sociology. Among the social systems themselves, further distinc- tions have to be drawn between interactions (based on the co-presence of individuals), organisations (consisting of networks of decisions), and societies (the systems that include everything that is social). When it deals with societies, systems theory is partic- ularly interested in the development of societal differentiation. Here, Luhmann distinguishes, within the course of history, four forms of differentiation: segmentary differentiation (the fundamental principle in archaic soci- eties), centre / periphery differentiation (as in the configuration of most empires), stratifi- cation (characterized by the hierarchy of dif- ferent strata or classes), and, finally, functional differentiation (the organisational principle of modern society

Epistemology · Law and economics · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Law · Law in Society and Culture · Philosophy

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