1st Edition
The Social Thought of Talcott Parsons Methodology and American Ethos
By Uta Gerhardt
Copyright 2011
456 Pages
by
Routledge
456 Pages
by
Routledge
456 Pages
by
Routledge
Also available as eBook on:
The Social Thought of Talcott Parsons offers an insightful new reading of the work of Talcott Parsons, keeping in view at once the important influences of Max Weber on his sociology and the central place occupied by methodology - which enables us to better understand the relationship between American and European social theory. Revealing American democracy and its nemesis, National Socialism in... Read more
Contents: Preface; Part I Themes: Positioning the Parsonian project. Part II Tenets: A product of modern European civilization: translating into English Max Weber’s Die protestantische Ethik und der Geist des Kapitalismus; A charter for modern sociology: the social system and the ethos of American democracy. Part III Dialogs: Encounters with the Frankfurt school: a story of exile, estrangement and epistemology; Beyond sociological imagination: the controversy with C. Wright Mills over power and knowledge; '...will not down...': the clash with utilitarianism in the name of the American societal community. Part IV Positions: The Parsons project today: social thought for the 21st century; Epilogue; Bibliography; Indexes.
Biography
Uta Gerhardt is Professor Emerita of Sociology at the University of Heidelberg, Germany, and author of Talcott Parsons: An Intellectual Biography, and co-editor of Agenda for Sociology: Classic Sources and Current Uses of Talcott Parsons' Works and Talcott Parsons on National Socialism
'Uta Gerhardt offers an erudite, resolute, and spirited defense of Talcott Parsons' social thought against many of his critics and contenders, presents intriguing findings from the archives, and ventures distinctly Parsonian reflections on current issues in sociological theory and practice.' Howard Brick, University of Michigan, USA
