Returning to the Young Talcott Parsons: The Critique of Utilitarian Rationality, the Problem of Social Integration, and the Role of institutions and Their Link to Ultimate Values

la crítica de la racionalidad utilitarista, el problema de la integración social y el rol de las instituciones y su vínculo con los valores últimos

Abstract

This research exposes and discusses, in a contextualized way, a set of conceptual formulations of the young Parsons, articulating them based on three themes: the critique of utilitarian rationality, the problem of social integration, and the role of institutions and their link with the ultimate values. In the writings of the young Parsons, prior to the publication of the Structure of Social Action, a search process with an open horizon is expressed. In them, Parsons faces questions related to the challenges implied by the critical situation of capitalism and liberalism of his time. More than on the systematic results, this analysis invites us to focus on the ways in which the author faces these challenges.