Autopoiesis and Steering: The Role of Identity

Abstract

Metaphors can lead you by the hand, but they can also pull your leg. Fruitful metaphors normally do both at the same time. It will be some time before a final verdict is reached on whether the autopoiesis metaphor is doing one or the other. Originally developed for the field of biology, autopoiesis is difficult to convert to the social sciences. In the opinion of the author, terms like ‘operational closure’ and ‘biological drift’ are not easy to adapt for use in the social science sphere and might appear more of a hindrance than a help. In this chapter the correct translation of autopoiesis into the domain of public administration will not be at issue. A concise description of the manner in which the author views and interprets autopoiesis and self-referentiality in social systems of meaning, such as the legal, the economic, the political and the differentiated sectoral systems and in social organizations, may suffice.