Talcott Parsons: An Intellectual Biography

The American sociologist Talcott Parsons was often accused of being an overly abstract, even apolitical thinker, remote in Harvard's ivory tower. Uta Gerhardt dispels this image in her fascinating account of the political nature of Parsons's life and scholarship. Gerhardt depicts Parsons as a champion of American society and democracy. In this respect he followed the lead of his venerable mentor, Max Weber. Parsons's work, Gerhardt argues, was driven by an overriding agenda to develop a sociological understanding and defense of the development of modern democracy.

Preface

ix

Understanding The Structure of Social Action

1

(57)

Introduction

1

(11)

The Long Shadow of Darwinism

12

(20)

The Matter of Facts

32

(19)

Summary

51

(2)

Postscript: What about Cultural Pessimism?

53

(5)

Parsons's Sociology of National Socialism, 1938--1945

58

(71)

Introduction

58

(3)

The Pre-War Period

61

(11)

Before Pearl Harbor

72

(17)

The Year 1942

89

(16)

Toward VE-Day

105

(15)

Beyond Victory

120

(6)

Summary

126

(3)

The Harvard Social-Science War Effort and The Social System

129

(55)

Introduction

129

(1)

Some Scenarios in the War Effort of the Social Sciences at Harvard

130

(7)

Parsons's Themes Connected with Harvard's War Effort

137

(7)

The War Effort Realized by Three of Parsons's Harvard Colleagues

144

(5)

Parsons's Reaction to the Deployment of the Atom Bomb

149

(4)

The Fate of Parsons's Memorandum Analyzing the War Effort of the Social Sciences

153

(7)

The Second Memorandum, an Unpublished Book

160

(7)

The Third Attempt

167

(10)

Summary

177

(1)

Postscript: Becoming Politically Embattled Personally

178

(6)

A New Agenda for Citizenship: Parsons's Theory and American Society in the 1960s

184

(92)

Introduction

184

(4)

The New Perspective on Power and the Polity

188

(22)

Understanding Value-Commitments

210

(5)

The Generalized Symbolic Media and the Theory of Society

215

(10)

The New Perspective on Integration and Democracy

225

(6)

Introducing Societal Community

231

(14)

Theory of Integration

245

(15)

Summary

260

(1)

Postscript: The Three Arenas for Change and Crisis

261

(15)

Epilogue A Life of Scholarship for Democracy

276

(5)

Bibliography

281

(8)

Name Index

289

(10)

Subject Index

299

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Talcott Parsons: An Intellectual Biography

Summary

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials