Identidad, tolerancia e intolerancia: un horizonte abierto a la investigación desde la teoría de los sistemas de Niklas Luhmann

Abstract

I had two reasons to write this article: first, my interest is to point up the relevance of Niklas Luhmann's systems theory for the study of identity, tolerance and intolerance; second, to answer a colleague's objection about my intention to use Niklas Luhmann's systems theory as a general framework in my research on identity and intolerance.

The objective of this article is to approach both these questions. This approach will not be in the sense of a critic to the different theories that could lead us to a futile perspective and a vain discussion, but in the direction to make a deep analysis of it's theoretical possibilities, showing it's productive potential through an example of the way in which it is possible to apply it to the research on identity, tolerance and intolerance. The procedure to reach this objective consists in a gradual approach that starts from the search of the theoretical elements, makes the connection of them with the everyday reality and brings them to the point in which it is possible a simple observation of identity, tolerance and intolerance.