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The Complexity–Sustainability Trade‐Off in Niklas Luhmann's Social Systems Theory

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  • Vladislav Valentinov

Abstract

This paper explores the way the idea of sustainability is linked to categories traditionally examined by the general systems theory—the categories of system, environment, and complexity. Toward this end, the paper builds upon the social systems theory of Niklas Luhmann to explain the nature of the trade‐off between complexity and sustainability. Exemplified by Luhmann's theory of ecological communication, the trade‐off emerges because the growing systemic complexity entails the increasing risk that systems develop insensitivity to those environmental conditions on which they critically depend. The key implication of the trade‐off is that it may be rational for social systems to withdraw their internal complexity to maintain their sustainability in a given environment. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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  • Vladislav Valentinov, 2014. "The Complexity–Sustainability Trade‐Off in Niklas Luhmann's Social Systems Theory," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(1), pages 14-22, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:srbeha:v:31:y:2014:i:1:p:14-22
    DOI: 10.1002/sres.2146
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Vladislav Valentinov, 2012. "The Institutionalist Implications of the General Systems Theory: The Societal Role of the Market," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(3), pages 253-262, May.
    2. Guohua Bai & Lawrence Henesey, 2012. "Coping with System Sustainability: A Sociocybernetics Model for Social‐Economic System Architecture," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(3), pages 263-273, May.
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    4. John R. Munkirs, 1988. "The Dichotomy: Views of a Fifth Generation Institutionalist," Journal of Economic Issues, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(4), pages 1035-1044, December.
    5. Pies, Ingo & Hielscher, Stefan & Beckmann, Markus, 2009. "Moral Commitments and the Societal Role of Business: An Ordonomic Approach to Corporate Citizenship," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 19(3), pages 375-401, July.
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    2. Le Ravalec, Mickaele & Rambaud, Alexandre & Blum, Véronique, 2022. "Taking climate change seriously: Time to credibly communicate on corporate climate performance," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).

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