Mainstream sociological theories of technology tend to use the society |
technology distinction, which is an extension of the anthropocentric human
| nonhuman distinction. This article goes beyond essentialist humanism in
developing a conceptual outline for a systems theory of technology. The basic
proposition of this article is that technology is a functional subsystem of modern
society that observes the world of tools, techniques and applications using the
code state-of-the-art | obsolete. Distinguishing an object as state-of-the-art
indicates its currency and creates expectations of future obsolescence, which
drives the system’s function of stimulating society’s inventive capacity. Taking a
systems approach resolves the theoretically unproductive technology vs. society
debate on causal primacy, and allows for discussions on sociological problems
of technology to move forward with a fresh perspective. While the article uses
Niklas Luhmann’s systems theory as its backbone, it breaks from Luhmann’s
concept of technology being in the environment of society, and proposes instead
that technology is, by itself, a subsystem of society.