This short essay offers a practical introduction to Niklas Luhmann's sociological theory. Despite his influence in the German-speaking world, Luhmann remains relatively underappreciated in other parts of the globe. This is partly due to the challenges of engaging with his abstract work that, to many, might seem incompatible with empirical research. The paper aims to bridge this gap by providing a guide to Luhmann's style of theory building and guidelines on how to work with him empirically, especially for those interested in social scientific historical investigations.
BaeckerDFuchsPSchmidtJFK (2012). Zur Biographie. In: JahrausO, et al. (eds). Luhmann-Handbuch. Stuttgart: J.B. Metzler, 1–11.
5.
CampilongoCFAmatoLFde BarrosM (eds) (2023). Luhmann and Socio-Legal Research. London: Routledge.
6.
FebbrajoAHarsteG (2013) Law and Intersystemic Communication. London: Routledge.
7.
FelschP (2015) Der Lange Sommer der Theorie. München: CH Beck.
8.
KhanSR (2014) Review: ‘humans cannot communicate’ – unravelling the mental knots of Niklas Luhmann. Contemporary Sociology43(1): 49–55.
9.
KingMSchützA (1994) The ambitious modesty of Niklas Luhmann. Journal of Law and Society21(3): 261–287.
10.
KoromP (2023) Star Sociologists. London: Palgrave.
11.
LuhmannN (1971) Die Weltgesellschaft. Archiv für Rechts- und Sozialphilosophie57(1): 1–35.
12.
LuhmannN (1982) The world society as a social system. International Journal of General Systems8(3): 131–138.
13.
LuhmannN (1984) Soziale Systeme. Frankfurt a. M.: Suhrkamp.
14.
LuhmannN (1986) Love as Passion. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP.
15.
LuhmannN (1989) Political Theory in the Welfare State. Berlin: de Gruyter.
16.
LuhmannN (1990) Ecological Communication. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
17.
LuhmannN (1996) Social Systems. Stanford: Stanford UP.
18.
LuhmannN (1997a) Globalization or world society: How to conceive of modern society?International Review of Sociology7(1): 67–79.
19.
LuhmannN (1997b) Die Gesellschaft der Gesellschaft. Frankfurt a. M.: Suhrkamp.
20.
LuhmannN (2004) Einführung in die Systemtheorie. Heidelberg: Carl-Auer Verlag.
21.
LuhmannN (2005) Intersubjektivität oder kommunikation: Unterschiedliche ausgangspunkte soziologischer theoriebildung. In: Soziologische Aufklärung 6. Die Soziologie und der Mensch. Wiesbaden: Springer, 162–179.
22.
LuhmannN (2012) Introduction to Systems Theory. Medford, MA: Polity.
23.
LuhmannN (2013) Theory of Society. Stanford: Stanford UP.
24.
LuhmannN (2022) The Making of Meaning. Oxford: Oxford UP.
25.
LuhmannN, et al. (2021) Foreword to the Italian Edition. In: BaraldiC, et al. (eds) Luhmann Unlocked. Bielefeld: Bielefeld UP.
26.
LyotardJ-F (1979) La Condition Postmoderne: Rapport sur le Savoir. Paris: Éditions de Minuit.
27.
MeghjiA (2022) The Racialized Social System. Medford, MA: Polity.
28.
MillsCW (2000) Grand Theory. In: The Sociological Imagination. Oxford: OUP, 25–59.
29.
MoellerH-G (ed) (2006) Luhmann Explained. Chicago: Open Court Publishing.
30.
MoellerH-G (ed) (2011) The Radical Luhmann. New York: Columbia UP.
31.
RothS (2023) Digital transformation of management and organization theories: A research programme. Systems Research and Behavioral Science40(3): 451–459.
32.
StichwehR (2011) Niklas Luhmann. In: RitzerGStepniskyJ (eds) The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Major Social Theorists: Volume II Contemporary Social Theorists. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 287–309.
33.
TillyC (1984) Big Structures, Large Processes, Huge Comparisons. New York: Sage.
34.
VilladsenK (2008) Polyphonic’ welfare: Luhmann’s systems theory applied to modern social work. International Journal of Social Welfare17: 65–73.
35.
WaizbortL (2020) Cada um por si e nenhum por todos. Elementos da covariação nos domínios de estrutura social e semântica. Sociologia & Antropologia10(2): 423–448.
