Christian Morgner – författare

In this important book, Niklas Luhmann uses his powers as an analyst of the social system to examine two of the most important concepts which hold that system together and allow it to evolve: trust and power. He criticises those theoretical accounts whose roots lie in what he refers to as ideologies – accounts which use implicit beliefs in particular conceptions of human nature to explain and predict social action in a one-dimensional way. Theories of rational choice and moralistic explanations are taken to task, as are the theories of both Marx and Habermas. Luhmann's unique scientific sociology underpins every page and enables him to highlight the potential shortcomings of these narrative approaches. Underlying this approach is the idea that ideologically-based social theory, whether critical or conservative, is unable to do justice to the complexities existing within the parameters of social systems, individuals, and the interactions between them. He aims to show instead how only a painstaking systems analysis can capture these intricacies.Although written over 40 years ago, Luhmann's complex vision of the operations of trust and power provides a wealth of insights of considerable value to scholars and students grappling with contemporary social and economic problems. The editors' introduction to this new edition and the significant revisions they have made to the translation will help to reveal the richness and clarity of this vision and its relevance to the ways that trust and power operate in today's society.

Niklas Luhmann is now widely recognized as one of the most important social theorists of the twentieth century. While several of his key texts have been translated into English significant parts of Luhmann's extensive output remain unavailable to a non-German-speaking readership. His publication in four volumes on Gesellschaftsstruktur and Semantik (Social Structure and Semantics) 1980, 1981, 1989, 1995) together constitute an important part of his work as they not only represent his contribution to a sociology of knowledge and culture, but they also set out the empirical work that underpins the development of his theory of society.In The Making of Meaning, Christian Morgner brings together Luhmann's essential ideas from the four volume series. In this work, Luhmann presents a new empirical strategy that links the production of knowledge and culture to broader societal changes and the transformation of societal complexity. This volume provides insight into the development of Luhmann's theoretical ideas, revealing how his theory was driven by a broad range of detailed historical and comparative studies. Informing a wide range of disciplines, from sociology to history, from law to business studies, from philosophy to cultural studies, The Making of Meaning stands as a major contribution to the sociology of knowledge and the social history of ideas.

Engaging with several emerging and interconnected approaches in the social sciences, including pragmatism, system theory, processual thinking and relational thinking, this book leverages John Dewey and Arthur Bentley’s often misunderstood concept of trans-action to revisit and redefine our perceptions of social relations and social life.

Engaging with several emerging and interconnected approaches in the social sciences, including pragmatism, system theory, processual thinking and relational thinking, this book leverages John Dewey and Arthur Bentley’s often misunderstood concept of trans-action to revisit and redefine our perceptions of social relations and social life.