Self/other: Guiding distinction for the social theory of the self.

This article introduces Niklas Luhmann's systems theory into contemporary discussions on the social dimension of the self, focusing on the self/other relationship as a central distinction in micro-sociological and phenomenological approaches. It critiques traditional intersubjectivity theories for their hierarchical treatment of the 'other' as subordinate to the 'self' and proposes Luhmann's reinterpretation of this distinction through the concepts of meaning and double contingency, which situate sociality as a dimension of meaning rather than subjective experience alone. The article also explores Dan Zahavi's notion of the minimal self, suggesting it can be understood systemically as the autopoiesis (self-production) of the psychic system, while emphasizing that a comprehensive systemic theory must integrate the social dimension via interpenetration between social systems and human beings. Overall, Luhmann's framework offers a multidimensional, non-hierarchical view of the self that transcends individualistic and social reductionist perspectives by treating consciousness and communication as autonomous but interrelated self-referential systems.