Overcoming Alienation: A Luhmannian Perspective

The concept of alienation can be found in micro- as well as macro-level sociological perspectives. The present discussion seeks an understanding of alienation, and possible ways to overcome it, in relation to Niklas Luhmann’s theoretical perspective, which, given its non-hierarchical structure, may provide a possibility of conceptualizing alienation from “both sides”. In Luhmann’s theory of Social systems, individuals (i.e. psychic systems) are seen as residing in the environment of society (i.e. social systems) and thus not constituting a part of it. It is argued, on the one hand, that this results in an essential, and alienating, differentiation of psychic systems from social systems. On the other hand, the differentiation of systems from their environment (and other systems in it) provides systems with a particular “freedom” in terms of acting according to their own, non-alienating, system logic (i.e. functionally). Nevertheless, psychic systems want to participate in the communication of social systems and this is possible only through access to system-specific media of communication, which are defined by social systems. In relation to this, psychic systems appear to be condemned to act according to the logic of social systems, which consequently would emphasize the alienating process of social participation and reduce the “freedom” of psychic systems. However, media of communication may be defined in one way in social systems while, from the perspective of psychic systems, alternative ways to access system media through various creative and unexpected processes may be possible. The equal “freedom” of psychic systems in relation to social systems would seem to emphasize such a possibility. It is thus argued that Luhmann’s theoretical perspective provides a possibility for psychic systems of social participation according to their own logic, and that this possibility may provide a key for understanding how the alienation of social participation can be overcome.