Realizing the existence of blind spots in the ‘West’: A systems-theoretical perspective

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to define transcendental relativization, by using the binary in some anthropological works, and to give a description of it along with Niklas Luhmann’s sociology. We examine how the binary [the West/non-West] has been used in some anthropological works and how it has contributed not only to understanding ‘them’ as a research object but also to realizing ‘our’ conceptual limitations. This paper is an attempt to deal with political or power-relational asymmetry and scientific observational asymmetry in anthropological works. Luhmann’s sociology, which is based on the functional analysis and theory of social systems, shows that the binary approach in anthropology can be seen as a semantic form of science system, which realizes the existence of blind spots in anthropological observation, and is a possible strategy for anthropological investigations.