What are systems? What is society? What happens to human beings in a hypermodern world? Niklas Luhmann addressed these questions in depth. This book introduces his social systems theory which explains specific functions like economy and mass media from a cybernetic perspective integrating various schools of thought including sociology philosophy and biology. Luhmann Explained explores the great thinker s radical analysis of world society. The book gives special attention to the present-day relevance of Luhmann s theory with respect to globalization electronic mass media ethics and new forms of protest.