Close to the Edge: From Crisis ToCritical Transitionsin Social Systems Theory

Abstract

AbstractNiklas Luhmann has considered the concept of crisis as a negative self-description of modern society. However, in different argumentative contexts, he uses the concept to refer to operative processes in and between partial systems that were not further developed, such as interruption of systemic relations, crisis threshold, and rapid transitions. Drawing on theoretical analyses and empirical research, I argue that the theory of critical transitions developed in ecosystem research offers a conceptual horizon from which to obtain insights to understand and explain sudden changes in modern society. To this extent, I propose a mechanism of critical transitions in meaning-based social systems and discuss its components in light of the related literature. I conclude that, while preserving the concept of crisis as a negative self-description, that of critical transition is more adequate to address the factual, temporal, and social operations producing sudden shifts in complex social systems.