Select Annotated Bibliography to Luhmann's Systems Theory and Its Applications in Literary Studies

Luhmann has written more than forty books and three-hundred-odd articles, so the choice presented below is highly selective. The emphasis is on works that have specific relevance to literary and communication studies. Biographical Note Niklas Luhmann was born in Lfineburg in 1927. After studying law in Freiburg, he became a civil servant. In 1960 he obtained a year's leave of absence to study at Harvard under Talcott Parsons, who strongly influenced his thinking, although from the very beginning Luhmann had difficulties with-in fact, rejected-two key elements of Parsonian systems theory: the primacy of structures over functions and the emphasis on norms and normativity. The works of Husserl were also important for Luhmann's intellectual development at this stage. In 1965 Luhmann was discovered by Helmut Schelsky; three years later he became professor of sociology at the University of Bielefeld. In 1971 Theorie der Gesellschaft oder Sozialtechnologie, a debate between Luhmann and Habermas, was published and brought Luhmann fame. At this time Luhmann still conceived of social systems as open systems consisting of actions (the early Luhmann). In the early eighties he incorporated Maturana's concept of autopoiesis (self-referentiality) into the theory. From this point on, he conceptualized social systems as autopoietic processes consisting of

Autopoiesis · Epistemology · Servant · Sketch · Social science · Social system · Sociology · Systems theory · Computer Science · Critical Theory and Philosophy · Law · Multidisciplinary Warburg-centric Studies · Philosophy · Philosophy, History, and Historiography

• From Language to Medium

  J E Elliott, Joe Elliott•New Literary History•1998

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• Twofold Vibration

  Ingo Berensmeyer•Poetics Today•2004

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• The paradox of form

  Open Access•Deborah H Roberts, David Roberts•Poetics•1992

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