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In December, 1973, the German sociologists, Walter M. Sprondel and Richard Grathoff, initiated correspondence with Talcott Parsons concerning the Harvard Seminar on Rationality, Alfred Schütz's participation in it, and Parsons' relationship with Schütz in the 1939–1941 time period, including their exchanges of manuscripts. In August, 1974, Parsons sent a long reply with his retrospective thoughts on his intellectual relationship with Schütz decades earlier, mainly one of mutually respectful but deep disagreement on methodological issues, including understanding of the nature of facts. In September, 1976, Grathoff reports to Parsons that the volume of the correspondence between Parsons and Schütz would appear in the following year and that a German edition, edited by Sprondel, would also appear. In July, 1978, Parsons writes to Grathoff in appreciation of both the German and English volume on his correspondence and intellectual relationship with Schütz. He also comments favorably on a volume of Grathoff's essays and its explication of Schütz's methodological views, while also affirming his own previous position. In October, 1978, Grathoff proposes a 40-year retrospective Colloquium on Rationality to reconsider issues raised in the 1939–1940 Harvard seminar. He also asks for Parsons' help in gaining permission from the Harvard economist, Arthur Smithies, for new research on Schumpeter's papers. In early 1979, Grathoff and Parsons exchange letters on the possibility of fitting in a day or two of discussion in Parsons' plans for his May trip to Germany. Parsons died in Munich on that trip and so far as we know a meeting with Grathoff did not occur.

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-62377-1_18

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