A Systems Theory of Society
»If our society had to agree upon a symbol, it would most likely not be a sphere, a cross, or a line, but the dizzying exponential curve.«
»Theme: theory of society; duration: 30 years; costs: none« – so ran Niklas Luhman’s infamous answer at the end of the 1960s in regard to his research project. The schedule was kept: in 1997 Theory of Society, Luhmann’s magnum opus and the key element of the project, was published.
As important as this work is, its background is also remarkable. For, as the sociologist’s unpublished writings show, over the course...
»Theme: theory of society; duration: 30 years; costs: none« – so ran Niklas Luhman’s infamous answer at the end of the 1960s in regard to his research project. The schedule was kept: in 1997 Theory of Society, Luhmann’s magnum opus and the key element of the project, was published.
As important as this work is, its background is also remarkable. For, as the sociologist’s unpublished writings show, over the course of decades he had written many polished and stand-alone versions of his theory of society that were ready for publication. In 1975 he brought to a close the first of these on almost one thousand typescript pages.
It is without a doubt the most sociologically comprehensive version of a global theory of society that emerged from Luhmann’s unique research project, and now it is being published for the very first time under the title A Systems Theory of Society.
DISCOVER
Just published: Suhrkamp Authors Around the World – July 2023, issue 2
We are delighted to present to you our latest arrivals!DISCOVER
Just published: Suhrkamp Authors Around the World – July 2023, issue 2
We are delighted to present to you our latest arrivals!Persons
Niklas Luhmann
Niklas Luhmann (1927–1998) was professor of sociology at the University of Bielefeld and a major social theorist. As the most prominent German proponent of sociological systems theory, his work has become one of the key contributions to 20th-century sociology.
Niklas Luhmann (1927–1998) was professor of sociology at the University of Bielefeld and a major social theorist. As the most prominent...
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Previously published in the respective language / territory; rights available again: Spanish rights / Latin America (Prometeo), Chinese complex rights (Wu-Nan), Italy (MIM), Turkey (Edebi)
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Poland (selection; Academicon); previously published in the respective language / territory; rights available again: Spanish world rights (Trotta), Japan (Keiso Shobo)
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English world rights (Stanford UP), Spanish world rights (Trotta), Italy (Franco Angeli), Korea (Theorie Publishing), Czech Republic (Karolinum); previously published in the respective language / territory; rights available again: Chinese complex rights (Business Weekly), Japan (Hosei UP)
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English world rights (Stanford UP), Spanish world rights (Herder), Chinese simplex rights (The Commercial Press), France (Exils), Italy (Quodlibet), Denmark (Reitzels), Korea (Saemulgyul), Japan (Hosei UP), Estonia (Eksa); previously published in the respective language / territory; rights available again: Russia (Logos), Croatia (Breza)
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English world rights (Stanford UP), Korea (Hangilsa)
Previously published in the respective language / territory; rights available again: Spanish world rights (Herder), Chinese complex rights (Wu-Nan), Italy (MIM), Japan (Hosei UP)
Law as a Social System
English world rights (Oxford UP), Spanish world rights (Herder), Chinese simplex rights (The Commercial Press), Chinese complex rights (Wu-Nan), France (Pu Laval), Korea (Saemulgyul), Japan (Hosei UP), Czech Republic (Stredisko); previously published in the respective language / territory; rights available again: Brazilian Portuguese rights (Martins Editora), Italy (Giappichelli), Croatia (Breza)
Love as Passion
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English world rights (Polity), Chinese simplex rights (East China Normal UP), Chinese complex rights (Wu-Nan), France (Aubier Montaigne / Flammarion), Korea (Saemulgyul), Turkey (Livera)
Previously published in the respective language / territory; rights available again: Spanish world rights (Peninsula), Portuguese rights (Difel), Italy (Pearson), Sweden (Liber AB), Japan (Bokutakusha), Poland (Scholar), Czech Republic (Prostor), Hungary (Joszöveg Mühely), Romania (Tact), Croatia (Naklada MD), Serbia (Zoran Stojanovic), Slovenia (Krtina)