Christine Weinbach

Die Schieflage der Gesellschaftstheorie, wenn man allein die Autopoiesis der Funktionssysteme berücksichtigt

Introduction

Die schieflage der gesellschaftstheorie, wenn man allein die autopoiesis der funktionssysteme berücksichtigt. Schieflage der Gesellschaftstheorie bei Autopoiesis-Betrachtung. Analyse der strukturellen Kopplung von Erziehungs- und Politiksystem im deutschen Schulwesen, nach Luhmann.

Abstract

Der vorliegende Text untersucht die strukturelle Kopplung des Erziehungssystems mit dem Politiksystem durch Organisation als Bedingung der Möglichkeit seiner Ausdifferenzierung und autopoietischen Selbstorganisation. Dieser Zusammenhang soll am konkreten Fall, dem (bundes-)deutschen Schulwesen, umrissen werden: Ausdifferenzierungsprozesse lassen sich beobachten. Ein Ländervergleich böte sich an, würde den hier gesetzten Rahmen jedoch sprengen. Die Beschränkung auf den (bundes-)deutschen Fall ist dennoch nicht willkürlich gewählt. Auch Luhmann hat die Ausdifferenzierung des Erziehungssystems – sowohl in seinen Schriften als auch in denen, die er gemeinsam mit Karl Eberhardt Schorr verfasst hat – nicht zufällig am deutschen Beispiel untersucht: Deutsche Fürstentümer waren zu ihrer Zeit Pioniere staatlich verfügten Schulunterrichts und lieferten wesentliche Voraussetzungen für die Ausdifferenzierung des Funktionssystems Erziehung.

Review

The article's title immediately signals a critical and nuanced engagement with central tenets of systems theory, particularly the concept of autopoiesis. It promises to address a perceived "imbalance" in social theory that arises from an exclusive focus on the self-referential nature of functional systems. The abstract confirms this ambition by proposing that the structural coupling of systems, specifically between the education and political systems, *through organization*, is a fundamental condition for their differentiation and autopoietic self-organization. This theoretical move suggests a valuable refinement of Luhmannian systems theory, highlighting the crucial role of inter-systemic connections and organizational mediation in shaping system evolution, thereby enriching our understanding of complex societal dynamics beyond purely internal processes. To substantiate this theoretical claim, the author proposes an examination of the (West-)German school system. This choice is well-justified, not only because observable differentiation processes are evident, but also by explicitly linking it to Luhmann's own historical observations regarding the pioneering role of German principalities in state-mandated education. While acknowledging the potential benefit of a cross-national comparison, the author judiciously limits the scope to a focused empirical case, which is entirely appropriate for an in-depth exploration of the proposed structural coupling mechanism. The emphasis on "organization" as the specific conduit for this coupling is particularly insightful, offering a concrete analytical lens through which to observe the interplay between political directives and educational system autonomy. This paper holds significant potential to contribute to ongoing debates within social theory, offering a compelling argument against a reductive understanding of functional systems. By foregrounding the concept of structural coupling *via organization*, it provides a more robust framework for analyzing how seemingly autonomous systems are nonetheless deeply interdependent and co-constituted. The research promises to illuminate the historical and contemporary processes of educational system differentiation in Germany, providing valuable empirical grounding for its theoretical modifications. Future work could potentially expand on the precise nature of "organization" in different contexts, or explore how this refined understanding of structural coupling might apply to other functional systems, thus further addressing the "imbalance" articulated in the paper's thought-provoking title.

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