Thomas Luckmann

The problem of meaning is central to the human condition.

Religion provides a comprehensive framework of meaning for individuals and societies.

The decline of traditional religious institutions does not necessarily mean the disappearance of religion, but rather its transformation.

The search for ultimate meaning is an enduring human quest.

The 'invisible religion' is often expressed in secularized forms, such as nationalism, scientism, or consumerism.

The human organism is biologically programmed for sociality.

The world is not simply 'there' but is actively constituted by human beings.

The social stock of knowledge is the sum total of typifications and recipes for action available in a society.

The individual's identity is a product of both objective and subjective processes.

The social world is a world of meanings.

The 'other' is essential for the formation of the self.

The social construction of reality is a continuous dialectic between objectivation, externalization, and internalization.

The institutional order is a human product, but it confronts the individual as an objective reality.

The problem of order in society is fundamentally a problem of meaning.

The 'sacred' is that which is set apart and endowed with ultimate significance.

The process of secularization is not simply a decline of religion but a transformation of its forms and functions.

The individual's subjective experience is always mediated by social structures and meanings.

The social world is a world of intersubjectivity.

The human being is an open being, constantly engaged in the process of self-creation.

The 'reality' of everyday life is a socially agreed-upon and maintained fiction.