Society and System: An Introduction to Contemporary Systems Theory

This work is an attempt to fill a gap in Greek-language literature concerning contemporary trends in systems theory. As the pace of societal change accelerates, it becomes increasingly difficult to classify social phenomena, leading many researchers to resort to convenient labels such as "chaos" or "crisis." However, contemporary systems theory-as developed in the second half of the 20th century by German sociologist Niklas Luhmann (1927-1998)-offers theoretical tools for the analysis and classification of modern phenomena in the 21st century, but only through a radical shift in the prevailing theoretical paradigm. In recent years, there has been a growing international interest in modern systems thinking, evident in the increasing number of publications on the subject and the systematic translation of Luhmann‘s extensive body of work into English. Systems theory, as both a "meta-theory" and a "super-theory," can provide not only explanations but also potential solutions to problems that at first appear intractable-such as the governance of today‘s complex societies, multinational organizations, political parties, and even interpersonal relationships. This book was written with the aim of being accessible not only to specialists, but also to first-year university students and to any reader interested in new approaches to both longstanding and emerging societal challenges.