#ed

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

#character #desirable #diversity #great #intellectual

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

#alternatives #any #facts #fit #itself

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

#fact #failing #him #his #implicit

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

#character #depends #development #elements #far

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 #changing #combined #empirical #empirical fact

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

#claim #could #did #empirical #empirical fact

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

#framework #group #interrelated #involve #logical

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

#considerations #empirically #even #everyday #everyday life

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

#answer #formulates #know #needed #only

I am all for cracking down on inappropriate digital behaviour. Too often the connected world is an excuse for some coward hiding behind a keyboard to bully someone else. ↗

— Tony Parsons

#behaviour #behind #bully #connected #coward