Talcott Parsons Quotes

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

  Talcott Parsons

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Language, Perception

• Science is intimately integrated with the whole social structure and cultural tradition. They mutually support one another-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

  Topics in Uncategorized

• 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

  Topics in Knowledge

  Tags in Change

• 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

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Facts, Accuracy

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

  Talcott Parsons

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Facts, Interest

• From all this it follows what the general character of the problem of the development of a body of scientific knowledge is, in so far as it depends on elements internal to science itself.

  Talcott Parsons

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Character

• Among those who are satisfactory in this respect it is desirable to have represented as great a diversity of intellectual tradition, social milieu and personal character as possible.

  Talcott Parsons

  Topics in Respect

• 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

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Facts

• 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

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Safe, Change

• 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

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Emphasis, Intimate

• Now obviously the propositions of the system have reference to matters of empirical fact; if they did not, they could have no claim to be called scientific.

  Talcott Parsons

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Obviously, System

• Spencer’s god was Evolution, sometimes also called Progress.

  Talcott Parsons

  Topics in God, Progress

• Of course there may well be particular reasons why Spencer rather than others is dead, as there were also particular reasons why he rather than others made such a stir.

  Talcott Parsons

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Course, Particular

• 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

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Variables

• In so far as such a theory is empirically correct it will also tell us what empirical facts it should be possible to observe in a given set of circumstances.

  Talcott Parsons

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Theory

• 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

  Topics in Knowledge

• That is, a system starts with a group of interrelated propositions which involve reference to empirical observations within the logical framework of the propositions in question.

  Talcott Parsons

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Group

• 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

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Consideration, Justify

• 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

  Topics in Family, Society

• The main concern of the study is with the outline of a theoretical system. Its minor variations from writer to writer are not a matter of concern to this analysis.

  Talcott Parsons

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Concern, Study

Talcott Parsons (27)

Birth:	13th December, 1902
Death:	8th May, 1979
Nationality:	American
Profession:	Sociologist

Related Authors

• Leo Löwenthal
• Jane Addams
• W. E. B. Du Bois
• Jacques Ellul
• Georg Simmel
• Ann Oakley
• Theodore Zeldin
• Robert Neelly Bellah
• Gustave Le Bon
• Luce Irigaray

Advertisement

Today's Anniversary - 21st January

Births

• 1941 - Placido Domingo
• 1922 - Paul Scofield
• 1884 - Roger Nash Baldwin
• 1824 - Stonewall Jackson
• 1922 - Telly Savalas

Deaths

• 1924 - Vladimir Lenin
• 2008 - Evan G. Galbraith
• 1997 - Colonel Tom Parker
• 1870 - Alexander Herzen
• 1932 - Lytton Strachey