Synthesis of the Theory of Action and the Theory of Social System

Abstract

According to my opinion, the construction of the social theory needs to synthe-size the theory of action and the theory of social system.This view agrees with Parsons' conception. But the theory of Parsons fails to explain fully the interrelations of action and “Handlungszusammenhang” i.e. social order.This task is, however, the problem assigned to Parsons but also to the modern sociology as a whole. For the basic feature of the social theory lies in the attempt to set both “Subjektiv gemeinter Sinn” and the social structure into the view.N. Luhmann suggests that in order to explain actions, the theory of social system in general should be integrated with the conception of action, which pays attention to actors' “Subjektiv gemeinter Sinn”, and that at the same time the theory of action needs to be based on the theory of social system. Anyway, Luhmann thinks of “Konstitutionszusammenhang von Handlung and System” with the help of concepts of “Selbstreferenz” of the social system and “Basale Selbst-referenz” of actions.From this perspective, Luhmann thinks that the basic conception of the theory of social system makes a new approach to “actions” possible.In this thesis, an attempt is made to discuss the central point of Luhmann's theory.