Luhmann and units
Jay Lemke (JLLBC who-is-at CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU)
Thu, 25 Apr 96 22:07:26 EDT
I feel some kinship with Arne's reference to Luhmann (whom I am
only beginning now to read) that individual persons are not parts
of social systems at all. In my view social systems are composed
of practices (one level of aggregation and organization of which
corresponds to 'activity' as in Leontiev, _sensu stricto_), and
not of persons. 'Persons' are another construct, out of
practices, construed by still other practices. And such 'persons'
are not identical to 'organisms', though they are indeed
'individuals' (in the technical sense in which electrons are not
and an ecosystem also is). But I am afraid that such a model does
not allow any autonomy at all to notions like minds or psyches;
they are possible units we may construct, whose usefulness must
be demonstrated against plausible alternatives, but all within
the framework of dynamic self-organizing (and self-construing,
i.e. semiotic) systems of practices (which are themselves always
also material processes of the ecosystem).
At-the-computer-to-you-writing-JAY-of-today.
-----------
JAY LEMKE.
City University of New York.
BITNET: JLLBC who-is-at CUNYVM
INTERNET: JLLBC who-is-at CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU