Niklas Luhmann’s Social Theory and the Political Practice

Niklas Luhmann’s social theory is usually get opposed to Jürgen Habermas’s views, and the most crucial difference between the two theories is found that while Habermas’s goal is the critique and emancipation of society, Luhmann’s goal is only the observation and description of that. Balázs Brunczel refines this assumption by revealing the efforts in Luhmann’s work to affect society, and more precisely politics. These became crystallized in Luhmann’s conceptions about political theories, which he conceives in a peculiar way. Brunczel also presents why these conceptions regarding the practice of politics, which mainly correspond to liberalism, appear not to be realizable in compliance with the other propositions of Luhmann’s theory.

Released: Replika 66, 111–123.