Suchergebnisse

Theoretical approaches to public opinion are hard to find in the sociological literature, with the exception of the seminal work of Jürgen Habermas. One important alternative, although almost unknown in the English-speaking world, is offered in a few contributions by the systems theoretician Niklas Luhmann. Both critical theory and systems theory start from a historical analysis of the conditions that led to the rise of a public sphere and understand its function as the limitation and control of the arbitrariness of power. Critical theory considers the public sphere as a social space where citizens can (or should) participate and discuss freely and without constraints. Thus, it legitimizes political power. Systems theory presents a completely different concept of the public sphere and conceives of it in terms of second-order observation. Through public opinion the modern political system observes itself and stimulates as well as limits its decision-making processes. This paper argues that both approaches share the idea that the political system, like every other social subsystem, must generate a system-specific uncertainty (i.e. specific conditions that it cannot control) in order to limit its own arbitrariness and to be able to develop its decision-making potential. Both approaches locate this uncertainty in the sphere of public opinion. But they radically differ in the way they conceptualize public opinion's effects on modern politics. Such differences between critical theory and systems theory are illustrated by an analysis of recent political events.

"Durch den Rückgriff auf die Unterscheidung zwischen Medium und Form betont der Autor, dass der Staat sich ständig auf die Unbestimmtheit des Mediums des politischen Systems bezieht, das eher auf Entscheidung als auf Organisation zurückgeführt wird. In seiner Argumentation steht die Unvorhersehbarkeit der Zukunft im Vordergrund, was zu dem Schluss führt, dass man durch Entscheidungen die Zukunft des Staates nicht bestimmen kann. Eine Zukunft, die von der Weltgesellschaft als gemeinsamer Bedingung aller Teilsysteme abhängig ist, lässt sich nur beobachten und beschreiben, nicht aber beeinflussen." (Autorenreferat)

Introduction / Alberto Febbrajo, Giancarlo Corsi -- On paradoxes in constitutions / Giancarlo Corsi -- Exogenous self-binding : how social subsystems externalise their foundational paradoxes in the process of constitutionalisation / Gunther Teubner -- Promise as premise : rewriting the paradox of constitutional reasoning / Ino Augsberg -- On the binding nature of constitutions / Hans-Georg Moeller -- Constitutionalism and legal pluralism / Alberto Febbrajo -- The sociological origins of global law / Chris Thornhill -- Constitutionalism and globalisation : a disputed relationship / Cesare Pinelli -- "Cross-constitutionalism" and sustainable comparison / Michele Carducci -- Towards the constitution of networks? / Karl-Heinz Ladeur -- Standards of "good governance" and peripheral constitutionalism : the case of post-accession romania / Bogdan Iancu -- The organization of market expectations beyond legality : an Argentinian case / Matías Dewey -- De-constitutionalizing latin america : particularism and universalism in a constitutional perspective / Aldo Mascareño -- Paradoxes of transconstitutionalism in Latin America / Marcelo Neves -- The constitution in the work of Niklas Luhmann / Giancarlo Corsi -- The issue of the constitution in Luhmann's card index system : reading the traces / Johannes F.K. Schmidt