Worlding Systems Theory

This article addresses systems theory in its second-order line of development—neocybernetic systems theory (NST)—as that takes off from the recursive turn in second-order cybernetics and the concept of autopoiesis developed in biological systems theory. Niklas Luhmann radicalized second-order cybernetics’ epistemological constructivism and lifted the conceptual architecture of autopoiesis out of its original biological reference, reformatting them within his theory of social systems as composed of communications (rather than persons). Within NST, social systems theory also develops a concept of world society. Modernity brings world society forth as the final horizon of psychic and social operations. Critical perspectives on world society as constituted in social systems theory include the alternative world concepts in John Law’s amalgamation of science and technology studies (STS) and actor-network theory (ANT) and Arturo Escobar’s systems-theoretical approach to design