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Library | Item Barcode | Call Number | Material Type | Item Category 1 | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... | 30000003173964 | HD61 L84 1993 | Open Access Book | Book | Searching... |
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Summary
Summary
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Luhmann develops a general theory of risk in modern societies, beginning with a geometry of precise definitions that differentiates risk from danger and that views risk from the perspective of a self-conscious actor who attributes calculable outcomes to a projected future. Risk entails specific forms of communicative interaction regarding the future through the medium of probability or improbability of expected or untoward outcomes. Thus, the assessment of risk and the problem of collective risky behavior assumes increasing importance in the institutional spheres of modern society, most notably the economy, polity, law, and science. Luhmann incorporates risk theory within his developmental and system-analytic theory of society through important chapter-length discussions on protest movements, decision makers and affected publics, and the special cases of high-technology industries, science, and formal organizations. Luhmann's essay will encourage continued theoretical reflection and provide the impetus for a more theoretically informed research agenda pertaining to risk and modernity. Advanced undergraduate; graduate; faculty. J. H. Rubin; Saint Joseph College
