Combining biosemiotics and post-normal science to study the formation and adaptation of the identity of modern society

Abstract

This paper draws on biosemiotics to reflect on the role that scientific inquiry plays in generating (useful) inputs to the process of decision making. In particular, the social theory of Luhmann is used to postulate that the formation of society’s identity requires the effective integration of two interrelated processes: (1) self-organization, a biophysical process that requires guided interactions based on effective rules (physical or tangible perspective), and (2) self-referential autopoiesis, a socio-psychological process that demands a communication process capable of preserving shared values (notional or abstract perspective). Rules are based on explanation narratives that are useful for improving interactions. Values are based on the emergence of societal myths and socio-technical imaginaries that fuel the concerns requiring collective action. It is argued that in the process of decision-making, rules (stored in a common memory) and values (generated by the psychic structure) affect each other in an impredicative way. The reproduction and updating of a given identity of society therefore would require a systemic quality check on the whole process of production and use of scientific information for decision-making, and hence a negotiation based on a mix of technical, moral, political, and ethical issues.