Niclas Luman’s «communication model» of society as a methodology of the study of religion

Abstract

For explanation and analysis of communicative function of religion an author calls to the communicative model of society of the well-known German researcher Niclas Luman. An author tries to educe paradigm belonging of Niclas Luman’s theory of communication, its constituents and features of functioning, gnosiological bases, place of this theory among other theories of communication, and also its value as original methodology of research of religion. The idea is defended, that the Niclas Luman’s theory of communication can be attributed to the so-called radical constructivism (one of variants of socio-synergetics). Society in the theory of Niclas Luman is examined as a system, that has ability to self-organization. N. Luman gave in arrangement of the communicative systems of the special value to the symbolically generalized mediators (for example, to religion and valued orientations), with their base selective function. Namely humanity in the process of the historical development appears for him not so much as an only subject, but as certain communication, integration of various – national, religious, social, cultural – subjects. Religion in itself also comes forward as communication.