Abstract

The discussions on the links among the social and the non-social, particularly those on the conditions for assigning (or not) Human status to determinate entities, are between the main subjects for current social theories. This essay applies elements of Luhmann social systems theory to propose a new approach to those important discussions. We propose that the minimum attributes required for any entity to take part in communication -and hence in society- are the access to the medium of meaning, and to a shared mediality, implying in turn both material and semiotic conditions. Thus, we propose the idea of a 'cosmic sociology', and we discuss its analytical advantages for understanding contemporary society in its human and non-human dimensions.