Editing Talcott Parsons (section)

===Contacts with other scholars===
In August 1963, Parsons got a new research assistant, [[Victor Lidz]], who would become an important collaborator and colleague. In 1964, Parsons flew to Heidelberg to celebrate the 100th birthday of Weber and discuss Weber's work with Habermas, [[Herbert Marcuse]], and others.<ref>Otto Stammler (ed.), ''Max Weber and Sociology Today.'' New York: Harper & Row, 1971.</ref> Parsons delivered his paper "Evaluation and Objectivity in Social Science: An Interpretation of Max Weber's Contribution".<ref>Talcott Parsons, "Evaluation and Objectivity in Social Science: An Interpretation of Max Weber's Contribution." in Talcott Parsons, ''Sociological Theory and Modern Society.''New York: Free Press, 1967. pp. 79–101. (Originally delivered at the Weber Centennial, April 1964, Heidelberg.)</ref> The meeting became mostly a clash between pro-Weberian scholars and the Frankfurt School. Before leaving for Germany, Parsons discussed the upcoming meeting with [[Reinhard Bendix]] and commented, "I am afraid I will be something of a Daniel in the Lion's den."<ref>Letter from Talcott Parsons to Reinhard Bendix, April 6, 1964. Parsons collection. Harvard University Archives.</ref> Bendix wrote back and told Parsons that Marcuse sounded very much like [[Christoph Steding]], a [[Nazi philosopher]].<ref>Letter from Reinhard Bendix to Talcott Parsons, April 6, 1964. Parsons collection. Harvard University Archives.</ref>

Parsons conducted a persistent correspondence with noted scholar [[Benjamin Nelson]],<ref>For a discussion of Nelson, see Donald A. Nielsen, "Rationalization, Transformations of Consciousness and Intercivilizational Encounters: Reflections on Benjamin Nelson's Sociology of Civilizations." ''International Sociology,'' Vol. 16. no. 3. September 2001: 406–420.</ref> and they shared a common interest in the rise and the destiny of [[civilizations]] until Nelson's death in 1977. The two scholars also shared a common enthusiasm for the work of Weber and would generally agree on the main interpretative approach to the study of Weber. Nelson had participated in the Weber Centennial in Heidelberg.

Parsons was opposed to the [[Vietnam War]] but was disturbed by what he considered the anti-intellectual tendency in the student rebellion: that serious debate was often substituted by handy slogans from communists [[Karl Marx]], [[Mao Zedong]] and [[Fidel Castro]].{{citation needed|date=September 2019}}