Explore/Sources/Social SystemsbookSocial SystemsNiklas LuhmannLuhmann, Niklas. Social Systems. Translated by John Bednarz Jr. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1995.Open in graphPreviousNick Wagoner — From a Seat to a Knee: How Colin Kaepernick and Nate Boyer Are Trying to Affect ChangeNextNiklas Luhmann — Trust and Power: Two WorksRelated concepts2 conceptsRelated concepts2 conceptsConceptCoherence MaintenanceThe ongoing work required to keep a system governable: enough agreement about who decides, what happened, and what must change next for learning to remain possible. Coherence maintenance becomes expensive as independently evolving boundaries multiply. Systems sometimes pay for it through clear ownership and timely feedback; they sometimes pay through coordination substitutes that preserve throughput while thinning corrective capacity.View Concept →ConceptSystemA system is an organized set of people, processes, rules, and structures that produces repeatable outcomes over time. The term applies across domains: software architectures, teams, firms, agencies, governance structures, and media institutions. The shared criterion is not technology; it is patterned behavior under constraints, incentives, and feedback.View Concept →Related books1 bookRelated books1 bookBookAfter CertaintyHow to Live and Judge When Understanding is not EnoughHow to live and judge once explanation reaches its limits—judgment, responsibility, and participation without replacement frameworks.View book
ConceptCoherence MaintenanceThe ongoing work required to keep a system governable: enough agreement about who decides, what happened, and what must change next for learning to remain possible. Coherence maintenance becomes expensive as independently evolving boundaries multiply. Systems sometimes pay for it through clear ownership and timely feedback; they sometimes pay through coordination substitutes that preserve throughput while thinning corrective capacity.View Concept →
ConceptSystemA system is an organized set of people, processes, rules, and structures that produces repeatable outcomes over time. The term applies across domains: software architectures, teams, firms, agencies, governance structures, and media institutions. The shared criterion is not technology; it is patterned behavior under constraints, incentives, and feedback.View Concept →
BookAfter CertaintyHow to Live and Judge When Understanding is not EnoughHow to live and judge once explanation reaches its limits—judgment, responsibility, and participation without replacement frameworks.View book
