Abstract
This paper discusses role of paradox in Niklas Luhmann's social theory from an autological hermeneutic perspective: An attempt at an interpretation of Luhmann's theory, including his theory of paradox, will discover that theory does not lend itself to an orthodox interpretation. Thus, while paradox of Luhmann's theory can only be understood through an orthodox interpretation, very foundations of such an orthodox hermeneutic approach are deconstructed by its own results. On basis of an insight into this hermeneutic paradox, foundational role of paradox in Luhmann's theory can be appreciated. For Luhmann, self-construction of society as a complex system of communication functions on basis of Paradoxieentfaltung, or unfolding of paradoxes, which, in turn is grounded on the foundational paradox of observation (die Grundparadoxie des Beobachtens). Thus, social construction operates not by eliminating paradoxes, but rather by making use of them.
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