Trust and social complexity in Niklas Luhmann

Abstract

The problem of social complexity was considered by Niklas Luhmann as the fundamental problem of sociology. His Theory of Social Systems aims in explaining in what way mankind deals with this problem that grows since the arrival of modernity. In this context, trust shows itself as an important mechanism for the reduction of complexity. In a world where choices multiply, it becomes necessary the use of a mechanism that help us to pre-select those choices and relieves us on the necessary amount of information to act. Trust allows us to act, even when we don’t have enough information about a situation or a person, based on what we already know, our own history, past that already is complexity reduced. This article intends to expose Luhmann’s study on this matter, relating it to Georg Simmel’s pioneer approach and later contributions.