Published: December 2021, Issue 40

Keywords:
Autopoiesis, Maturana, Luhmann.

Thomas Mavrofidis

Ph.D. - University of the Aegean.

Emmanouil Mavrofidis

Ph.D. candidate – Hellenic Open University.

Abstract

It is no secret that Humberto Maturana continuously and firmly opposed the idea that the concept of autopoiesis could (or even more: should) be used in social systems theory. For him it was purely a biological theory, and any attempt to use it in sociology or political theory could result in the justification of authoritarian regimes. This was the reason he had been reluctant towards the adoption of his theory by Niklas Luhmann. At any rate, Luhmann incorporated the autopoietic theory into his own theoretical apparatus, thus articulating a very elaborate approach to social phenomena.t is no secret that Humberto Maturana continuously and firmly opposed the idea that the concept of autopoiesis could (or even more: should) be used in social systems theory. For him it was purely a biological theory, and any attempt to use it in sociology or political theory could result in the justification of authoritarian regimes. This was the reason he had been reluctant towards the adoption of his theory by Niklas Luhmann. At any rate, Luhmann incorporated the autopoietic theory into his own theoretical apparatus, thus articulating a very elaborate approach to social phenomena.

Our endeavor here, is to explain how Luhmann approached the concept of autopoiesis, and to show that it does have a place in social sciences, as a very flexible and ground-breaking tool, in order to realize social phenomena that otherwise could be dealt with as deviations from “normal” norms, or even indications of “high social entropy” etc.