A Contrastive Study Between Beck And Luhmann's Sociological Theory Of Risk

In modern society, for showing the characteristics of universality and complexity and the trends of man-made and institutionalized, risk has aroused widespread concern in academic community. In the discussions on the sociology of risk, as Piet Strydom said, that can truly be called the mainstreaming is only two camps: one is Beck's critical sociology of risk, the other is Luhmann's agnosticism on contingent society. Beck apperceived the essential characteristic of the risk in modern society, and attributed the risk to the expansion of modernity and its side effects, which opened up a paradigm of sociological study on risk. But Luhmann explained the origin and development of risk from the structure and internal mechanism of the modern society entirely. He insisted that the risk of modern society was caused by the dramatic increase of complexity and possibility in the system, which was the result of functional differentiation. So he considered that we should grasp the problem from the systems perspective.Based on a contrastive study between Beck and Luhmann's sociological theory of risk, This paper finds that: (1) On the basis of epistemology, Beck would prefer the realism based on constructivism, while Luhmann would prefer strong constructivism. (2) On the methodology, Beck would prefer the institutionalism methodology, while Luhmann would prefer the methodology of system. (3) On the interests of theory, Beck's analysis treated the risk as a research object, while Luhmann treated the risk as a perspective of sociological theory. (4)On the analysis dimensions, Beck inclined to hold the value dimension to criticize the society, while Luhmann was from a non-moral dimension. (5) On the response strategy to risk society, Beck emphasized the importance of reflective scientific and global "sub-politics". Luhmann was more pessimistic, but he also stressed the importance of second-order observation.At the same time, as two theories departed from sociology, Beck and Luhmann had the same social background and ideological background, regarded the world as an uncertainty existence on the ontology, used the non-individual methodology, started from the crisis of modernity, and fitted on the reflective and resisting radical social criticism.They considered that we must maintain an open attitude and a high degree of alertness to our limited rational capacity, so we can maintain the reflection of society as a whole.Finally, this paper summaries and comments their thoughts on risk. On the one hand, this paper stresses that Beck and Luhmann's sociological theory of risk is the deep reflection to the paradox on the development of modern society. It can help us grasping the essence and its development of modern society from multi-angle and multidimensional level, which can also help us building a new modern. So, it has remarkable theoretical and practical significance. On the other hand, the paper also points out that there are still some questions which needs further discussion.