Abstract
The sciences evolve in terms of paradigms. Paradigms can be considered as temporary forms of the self-organization of social communication in a specific language. The question of how communication is possible among otherwise `incommensurable' paradigms has been crucial to the sociology of science for the last two decades. The theory of self-organization provides us with a new perspective on these issues. Various models for understanding communication among communication systems can be compared; `integration' into public discourse can then be considered as a negative feedback loop that cannot be localized, but acts as a regime. By reconstructing `nature' in terms of representations, the modern sciences provide this regime with increasing complexity. The sciences replace ignorance with uncertainty, and therewith generate a continuous pressure of `modernization' of social and normative frameworks. The historical roots of this regime are discussed, and some of its practical consequences are elaborated.
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