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
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.
But the scientific importance of a change in knowledge of fact consists precisely in j its having consequences for a system of theory.
The importance of certain problems concerning the facts will be inherent in the structure of the system.
The part an actor played on stage was once written on a separate roll of paper.
The functions of the family in a highly differentiated society are not to be interpreted as functions directly on behalf of the society, but on behalf of personality.
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.
It is probably safe to say that all the changes of factual knowledge which have led to the relativity theory, resulting in a very great theoretical development, are completely trivial from any point of view except their relevance to the structure of a theoretical system.
The implications of these considerations justify the statement that all empirically verifiable knowledge even the commonsense knowledge of everyday life - involves implicitly, if not explicitly, systematic theory in this sense.
Empirical interest will be in the facts so far as they are relevant to the solution of these problems.
Spencers god was Evolution, sometimes also called Progress.
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.
If capitalism begins as the practical idealism of the aspiring bourgeoisie, it ends ... as an orgy of materialism.
A gloss is a total system of perception and language.
A scientifically unimportant discovery is one which, however true and however interesting for other reasons, has no consequences for a system of theory with which scientists in that field are concerned.