In Niklas Luhmann’s systems theory (Luhmann, 1995), society is characterized by an array of functionally differentiated subsystems comprising of communication. Included among these subsystems are the scientific subsystem, the technological subsystem, the moral subsystem and so on. Each of these subsystems is unique and conceives of problems in society by making use of their own logic, resulting in a situation where each subsystem presents different solutions to problems in society. In Luhmann’s theory these subsystems are independent of one another, raising the question of whether it’s possible for moral values or properties to be embedded in technological systems.

To answer this question, I consider how these subsystems interact with one another. As argued for by Kneer (2001), Sales et al. (2022), and Roth et al. (2020), societal subsystems can be brought together through a process called structural coupling, that is instigated in a variety of settings. One such setting is a Technological Innovation System, or TIS (Pretorius, 2024). In a TIS, different subsystems are present throughout the development and diffusion of a technology. These subsystems irritate one another, wrestling with problems as they employ their respective logics and accept or reject each other’s decisions. The rejection of another subsystem’s decision prompts the two subsystems to seek an alternative so that consensus can be found. Along with subsystems like science, economics, and law, we would expect the moral subsystem to be present in any given TIS. Should this be the case, the moral subsystem would participate in the development and diffusion of a technology by accepting or rejecting decisions made in those other subsystems, like science for example. Through this participation, we can expect society’s subsystems to engage with one another as they seek to find consensus on how to solve a problem – influencing one another along the way. 

As a result of this dialogue within a TIS, we can see how the system can establish an ethic of its own, where morality would be interpreted through a myriad of systems’ logics to varying degrees to come to TIS decisions – that is, decisions pertaining to the development and diffusion of a technology – that are morally charged. In this way, we can see the system as the central component that embeds moral values or properties in the development and diffusion of a technology, rather than individuals.