Overview

Niklas Luhmann's social theory stands in direct opposition to the dominant 'anthropocentric' traditions of legal and political analysis. King and Thornhill now offer the first comprehensive, critical examination of Luhmann's highly original theory of the operations of the legal and political systems. They describe how from the perspective of his 'sociological enlightenment' Luhmann continually calls to account the certainties, the ambitions and rational foundations of The Enlightenment and the idealized versions of law and politics which they have produced.

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9781403998019

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Reviews

King and Thornhill have produced an outstanding book...presents a very clear and economical exposition of Luhmann's theories... --Tim Murphy, London School of Economics and Political Science<br><br> This is an excellent book. Michael King and Chris Thornhill have provided a comprehensive, scholarly and accessible account of Luhmann's extensive writings on politics and law. They have also answered convincingly many of the anti-functionist' criticisms that have been directed against his ideas. I have no doubt that their efforts will succeed in convincing readers of the relevance and importance of Luhmann's theory in understanding the complexity and dynamism of modern society as well as the considerable difficulties which are likely to be encountered in attempting to find solutions to the major problems facing the world. --Gunther Teubner, J.W. Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany<br>

King and Thornhill have produced an outstanding book...presents a very clear and economical exposition of Luhmann's theories... --Tim Murphy, London School of Economics and Political Science This is an excellent book. Michael King and Chris Thornhill have provided a comprehensive, scholarly and accessible account of Luhmann's extensive writings on politics and law. They have also answered convincingly many of the anti-functionist' criticisms that have been directed against his ideas. I have no doubt that their efforts will succeed in convincing readers of the relevance and importance of Luhmann's theory in understanding the complexity and dynamism of modern society as well as the considerable difficulties which are likely to be encountered in attempting to find solutions to the major problems facing the world. --Gunther Teubner, J.W. Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany

King and Thornhill have produced an outstanding book...presents a very clear and economical exposition of Luhmann's theories... --Tim Murphy, London School of Economics and Political Science <br> This is an excellent book. Michael King and Chris Thornhill have provided a comprehensive, scholarly and accessible account of Luhmann's extensive writings on politics and law. They have also answered convincingly many of the anti-functionist' criticisms that have been directed against his ideas. I have no doubt that their efforts will succeed in convincing readers of the relevance and importance of Luhmann's theory in understanding the complexity and dynamism of modern society as well as the considerable difficulties which are likely to be encountered in attempting to find solutions to the major problems facing the world. --Gunther Teubner, J.W. Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany<br>

Author Information

MICHAEL KING is Professor of Law at Brunel University, UK. He has held appointments at Warwick University and the State University of New York and has worked as a research fellow at the European University Institute, Florence. Recently, he has written extensively on autopoietic theory and its implications for the understanding of law. CHRIS THORNHILL is Professor of German Political Theory at King's College, London. He is the author of several books on modern German legal and political thought.

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