Overview
In classical sociological thought, consensus is often viewed as the foundation of social order, while disagreement is treated as a systemic failure. Drawing on Niklas Luhmann’s systems theory, this lecture reverses this premise. It argues that communication does not begin with agreement, but emerges from the difference and uncertainty of double contingency. Consequently, dissensus is not a malfunction; it operates as the auto-immune system of society, irritating operatively closed systems, preventing entropy, and forcing structural evolution.
This lecture will explore how various functionally differentiated systems uniquely process and program dissensus. While the legal system transforms disagreement into binding consensus, and the political system institutionalizes it as the driving force of competition, the economy diffuses it through contracts and market rivalry. Values, in this context, serve merely as an abstract consensus on content that allows for endless dissensus regarding application.
The presentation culminates by focusing on two specific dimensions where dissensus is not merely tolerated, but structurally essential: art and the future. In the art system, there is a "consensus that dissensus makes sense," keeping the contingency of the world visible. Similarly, the future—being unactualized—remains a space where contradictory visions can coexist symmetrically without destructive conflict. Ultimately, analyzing how systems sustain dissensus provides a theoretical framework for understanding emerging phenomena, including the increasingly complex, divergent interactions within artificial intelligence.
Speaker
Michał Kaczmarczyk is Associate Professor of Sociology and Director of the Institute of Sociology at the University of Gdańsk. A social theorist specialising in the architecture of modern society and the legacy of Niklas Luhmann, his work examines the boundaries between social systems, particularly law, and the ontological foundations of human interaction.
He is the author of The Aporia of Freedom (Brill, 2024), an extensive study of competing social theories awarded the Jan Długosz Prize for the best Polish humanities book. He has also translated and provided critical commentary on Luhmann’s Social Systems, a key contribution to its reception in Central Europe. His forthcoming book, Horror Sociologicus, exploring social pessimism and dystopias, is due in 2026.
His work has appeared in leading journals (e.g. European Journal of Sociology, Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour, Historical Social Research, Systems Research and Behavioral Science). He has held a visiting professorship at SUNY Buffalo and actively participates in debates on constructivism and ecological sociology.
Details
This event is open to all and free to attend with no need to book.
This is a hybrid event, which will take place in-person in the Gatsby Room (Chancellor's Centre) and also on Zoom.
If you would like to attend online, please register for the Zoom link.
Refreshments will be available for the in-person audience.
Access
This event will take place in the Gatsby Room on the first floor of the Chancellor's Centre. It has step-free access with a lift and there is an accessible toilet located each floor of the building.
Contact
If you have any questions, please contact our events team - events@wolfson.cam.ac.uk
Wolfson Humanities Society
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