Talcott Parsons
Talcott Parsons
Talcott Parsonsis an American sociologist of the classical tradition, best known for his social action theory and structural functionalism. Parsons is considered one of the most influential figures in the early development of American sociology. After earning a PhD in economics, he served on the faculty at Harvard University from 1927 to 1979, and in 1930, was among the first professors in its newly created sociology department...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionSociologist
Date of Birth13 December 1902
CountryUnited States of America
Knowledge is held to be an entirely quantitative affair. The one important thing is to have observed what had not been observed before.
The simplest way to see the meaning of the concept of a closed, system in this sense is to consider the example of a system of simultaneous equations.
Sociology should... be thought of as a science of action-of the ultimate common value element in its relations to the other elements of action.
If observed facts of undoubted accuracy will not fit any of the alternatives it leaves open, the system itself is in need of reconstruction.
If capitalism begins as the practical idealism of the aspiring bourgeoisie, it ends ... as an orgy of materialism.
But the fact a person denies that he is theorising is no reason for taking him at his word and failing to investigate what implicit theory is involved in his statements.
It is that of increasing knowledge of empirical fact, intimately combined with changing interpretations of this body of fact - hence changing general statements about it - and, not least, a changing a structure of the theoretical system.
A theoretical system does not merely state facts which have been observed and that logically deducible relations to other facts which have also been observed.
But the scientific importance of a change in knowledge of fact consists precisely in j its having consequences for a system of theory.
Empirical interest will be in the facts so far as they are relevant to the solution of these problems.
If there are four equations and only three variables, and no one of the equations is derivable from the others by algebraic manipulation then there is another variable missing.
Thus, in general, in the first instance, the direction of interest in empirical fact will be canalised by the logical structure of the theoretical system.