Random notes thread (not well organized)

begins with Talcott Parsons structure of social action

why there?
- Parsons presents convenient pre-sociological dichotomy between opposing positivistic and idealistic theories of action
- then claims to resolve with voluntaristic theory of action
- genealogical approach places each of three theories in a camp with prominent names
- Parsons interestingly self reflective about whether voluntaristic theory is ideological or a scientific advance
- Parsons takes broadly a Hobbesian view of humanity hence first of all inadequacy of positivistic theory due to naivete and secondarily idealistic theory by externalizing normativity from its conditions

The above points allow Clarke to stress both the inadequacy of the neatly separated campist origin story hence the unoriginality of the voluntaristic theory as well as to attempt to take up Parsons self-reflective challenge on why the appearance of voluntaristic theory at all