Talcott Parsons Quotes & Sayings (Page 2)

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

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

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

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

“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.”

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

“Spencer's god was Evolution, sometimes also called Progress.”