The actualization of the "possibilities of connection", (3:26) particularly "those communicative relations of relations" leading to "a high level of generalization" (3:30) required by "theoretical publications" (3:29), is evoluated from the system, and "thus bound to a certain time and is to a high degree accidental". (3:31) The accidents in zettelkasten, i.e. communication with slip boxes, has a similar role of "the accidents of reading" and "misunderstandings resulting from interdisciplinary thought processes". (4:13)

²⁶In comparison with this structure, which offers possibilities of connection that can be actualized, the importance of what has actually been noted is secondary. ²⁷Many of the notes will soon become unusable or cannot be used at a given occasion. ²⁸This holds both for excerpts which are only useful in the case of especially remarkable formulations and for our own deliberations. ²⁹Theoretical publications do therefore not result from simply copying what can already be found in the slip box. ³⁰The communication with the slip box becomes fruitful only at a high level of generalization, namely that of establishing communicative relations of relations. ³¹And it becomes productive only at the moment of evaluation, and is thus bound to a certain time and is to a high degree accidental.

-- Luhmann1992 Section III

Possible typo: "evaluation" should be "evolution".

¹³At the abstract level of empirical investigation concerned with the theory of science is communication with slip boxes certainly only one of many possibilities. ¹⁴The accidents of reading play a role just as much as misunderstandings resulting from interdisciplinary thought processes. ¹⁵We can confirm hat communication with slip boxes may be considered as a functional equivalent and that this approach, compared to others, has many advantages as far as speed, and mutual adaptability is concerned.

-- Luhmann1992 Section IV

There seems to be a typo in the the quote, "hat communication with slip boxes", where "hat" should be "that".

keywords: #accident