Editor’s note: Parsons and Simmel

Abstract

The following section presents several papers focused on Talcott Parsons and Georg Simmel. The first is the "fragment" on Simmel of Ch. XVIII, Georg Simmel and Ferdinand Toennies. This chapter has been the subject of scholarly discus sion since Parsons revealed in 1968 that he had drafted it for his early major work, The Structure of Social Action (1937), but had ultimately decided not to include it.* The second, "Simmel and the Methodological Problems of Formal Sociology," is a previously unpublished manuscript by Parsons?apparently writ ten in 1939?that continues his engagement with Simmel's approach. The third is a commentary on the second Simmel manuscript that Edward Shils sent Par sons, in response to the latter's request. Finally, there is William Buxton's paper, "From the 'Missing Fragment' to the 'Lost Manuscript': Reflections on Parsons's Engagement with Simmel," which compares the two Parsons manuscripts and reflects on their significance. Since readers may wonder how the second Parsons manuscript was discov ered and why it remained unknown for a half-century, a brief explanation is in order. Since the mid-1970s, a collection of Parsons materials has been develop ing in the Harvard University Archives in Pusey Library. This includes not only correspondence and manuscripts, but also such items as genealogical tables, portraits, and photographs. Following his death in 1979, Talcott Parsons's fac ulty papers were donated to the Archives for the use of scholars. The papers did not, however, arrive all at once; additional donations were made as more mate rials were located. Indeed, according to Ms. Patrice Donoghue, assistant archi vist at the Harvard University Archives, the collection consists of sixteen sepa rate donations (or "accessions") from 1974 (while Parsons was still alive) to 1991 [e-mail communication, April 25, 1998]. In I99O, William Buxton was approached by another historical scholar work ing at Harvard who told him there appeared to be some Parsons materials in the basement of William James Hall, the social sciences building. Upon investigating, Buxton found that this was indeed so, and he promptly arranged for five cartons of documents?including "Simmel and the Methodological Problems of Formal Sociology"?to be examined by the Archives' staff. I have been informed by Ms. Donoghue that these materials officially became part of the Parsons collection