Talcott Parsons Quotes

• 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.

  Talcott Parsons

  Personality, Function, Behalf

  Talcott Parsons, Robert Freed Bales (1956). “Family Socialization and Interaction Process”, p.16, Psychology Press

  8 Copy quote

• Theory not only formulates what we know but also tells us what we want to know, that is, the questions to which an answer is needed.

  Talcott Parsons

  Answers, Want, Theory

  Talcott Parsons (1968). “The structure of social action: a study in social theory with special reference to a group of recent European writers”

  25 Copy quote

• 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.

  Talcott Parsons

  Science, Elements, Action

  Talcott Parsons (1967). “Structure of Social Action”, Free Pr

  18 Copy quote

• If capitalism begins as the practical idealism of the aspiring bourgeoisie, it ends ... as an orgy of materialism.

  Talcott Parsons

  Bourgeoisie, Materialism, Ends

  Max Weber, Talcott Parsons (2003). “The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism”, p.3, Courier Corporation

  21 Copy quote

• The importance of certain problems concerning the facts will be inherent in the structure of the system.

  Talcott Parsons

  Facts, Problem, Structure

  Talcott Parsons (1968). “The structure of social action: a study in social theory with special reference to a group of recent European writers”

  10 Copy quote

• A gloss is a total system of perception and language.

  Talcott Parsons

  Perception, Language, Gloss

  11 Copy quote

• Science is intimately integrated with the whole social structure and cultural tradition. They mutually support one other-only in certain types of society can science flourish, and conversely without a continuous and healthy development and application of science such a society cannot function properly.

  Talcott Parsons

  Health, Science, Support

  1951 The Social System, ch.8.

  11 Copy quote

• The part an actor played on stage was once written on a separate roll of paper.

  Talcott Parsons

  Actors, Paper, Stage

  11 Copy quote

• If observed facts of undoubted accuracy will not fit any of the alternatives it leaves open, the system itself is in need of reconstruction.

  Talcott Parsons

  Facts, Needs, Alternatives

  Talcott Parsons (1968). “The structure of social action: a study in social theory with special reference to a group of recent European writers”

  12 Copy quote

• Spencers god was Evolution, sometimes also called Progress.

  Talcott Parsons

  Progress, Evolution, Sometimes

  Talcott Parsons, Peter Hamilton (1985). “Readings from Talcott Parsons”, Chichester [West Sussex] : E. Horwood ; London ; New York : Tavistock Publications

  16 Copy quote

• 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.

  Talcott Parsons

  Missing, Three, Variables

  TALCOTT PARSONS (1949). “THE STRUCTURE OF SOCIAL ACTION”

  53 Copy quote

• Empirical interest will be in the facts so far as they are relevant to the solution of these problems.

  Talcott Parsons

  Facts, Problem, Interest

  Talcott Parsons (1968). “The structure of social action: a study in social theory with special reference to a group of recent European writers”

  4 Copy quote

• 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.

  Talcott Parsons

  Doe, Facts, States

  Talcott Parsons (1968). “The structure of social action: a study in social theory with special reference to a group of recent European writers”

  7 Copy quote

• 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.

  Talcott Parsons

  Body, Facts, Structure

  Talcott Parsons (1968). “The structure of social action: a study in social theory with special reference to a group of recent European writers”

  8 Copy quote

• But the scientific importance of a change in knowledge of fact consists precisely in j its having consequences for a system of theory.

  Talcott Parsons

  Facts, Theory, Importance

  4 Copy quote

• 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.

  Talcott Parsons

  Science, Discovery, Interesting

  Talcott Parsons (1937). “The Structure of Social Action: A Study in Social Theory with Special Reference to a Group of Recent European Writers”

  10 Copy quote

• 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.

  Talcott Parsons

  Facts, Failing, Reason

  Talcott Parsons (1967). “Structure of Social Action”, Free Pr

  12 Copy quote

• The hypothesis may be put forward, to be tested by the s subsequent investigation, that this development has been in large part a matter of the reciprocal interaction of new factual insights and knowledge on the one hand with changes in the theoretical system on the other.

  Talcott Parsons

  Hands, Development, May

  Talcott Parsons, Peter Hamilton (1985). “Readings from Talcott Parsons”, Chichester [West Sussex] : E. Horwood ; London ; New York : Tavistock Publications

  8 Copy quote

• 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.

  Talcott Parsons

  Views, Development, Safe

  TALCOTT PARSONS (1937). “THE STRUCTURE OF SOCIAL ACTION”

  19 Copy quote

• Special emphasis should be laid on this intimate interrelation of general statements about empirical fact with the logical elements and structure of theoretical systems.

  Talcott Parsons

  Special, Elements, Facts

  Talcott Parsons (1968). “The structure of social action: a study in social theory with special reference to a group of recent European writers”

  8 Copy quote

• 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.

  Talcott Parsons

  Everyday, Systematic, Consideration

  Talcott Parsons (1937). “The Structure of Social Action: A Study in Social Theory with Special Reference to a Group of Recent European Writers”

  7 Copy quote

You May Also Like:

Emile Durkheim

Robert K. Merton

Max Weber

Niklas Luhmann

Herbert Spencer

Jurgen Habermas

Georg Simmel

George H. Mead