Society and Law

Perceptions in Talcott Parsons and Niklas Luhmann

Abstract

This article aims to explore some of the ideas of two prominent 20th century thinkers, Talcott Parsons and Niklas Luhmann. They were sociologists who provided significant studies on the structure and functioning of society, in addition to investigating the genesis and relevance of law within this paradigm. Luhmann saw his analysis through the lenses of autopoiesis and the theory of social systems, while Parsons approached it using the structure of the theory of social action and structural functionalism. It is clear that his approaches differ; however, through a systematic investigation, we can discover points where his perspectives converge not only with each other, but also with other classical and contemporary scholars who have studied society. This analysis is essential to understanding different perspectives on the role of law as a mechanism of social control and to recognizing the importance of valuing sociological thought.