Toward a theory of multifunctional liberalism: Systems‐theoretical reflections on the nature of statehood

As neoliberalism is sinking into disrepute, states are responding to current crises by inroads on basic rights. This constellation adds urgency to the timeworn subject of statehood and its relationship to law and liberty. The paper addresses this subject by enhancing the neoliberal concept of an enc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inSystems research and behavioral science Vol. 40; no. 6; pp. 945 - 954
Main Authors Roth, Steffen, Valentinov, Vladislav
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01.11.2023
Wiley Periodicals Inc
Subjects
Autonomy
Coleman, James S (1926-1995)
Differentiation
economy
Freedoms
functional differentiation
Law
Liberalism
Luhmann, Niklas (1927-1998)
Neoliberalism
Politics
Rights
Social change
Social systems theory
Statehood
Urgency
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Summary:As neoliberalism is sinking into disrepute, states are responding to current crises by inroads on basic rights. This constellation adds urgency to the timeworn subject of statehood and its relationship to law and liberty. The paper addresses this subject by enhancing the neoliberal concept of an encased economy with James Coleman's concept of law as indicator of social change and Niklas Luhmann's functional differentiation. The resulting multifunctional liberalism associates liberties and rights with the autonomy of function systems—such as politics, economy or law—and envisions an ecosystem of multifunctional organizations able to navigate the full spectrum of functional differentiation.
Bibliography:Funding information
No funding sources to declare.
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ISSN:1092-7026
1099-1743
DOI:10.1002/sres.2925