▁interpretation ▁of ▁the ▁orig ins ▁of ▁modern ▁civil izations . ▁ ▁Death ▁Par s ons ▁died ▁May ▁ 8 , ▁ 1 9 7 9 , ▁in ▁Mun ich ▁on ▁a ▁trip ▁to ▁Germany , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁celebr ating ▁the ▁ 5 0 th ▁anni versary ▁of ▁his ▁degree ▁at ▁Heidel berg . ▁The ▁day ▁before , ▁he ▁had ▁given ▁a ▁lecture ▁on ▁social ▁class ▁to ▁an ▁audience ▁of ▁German ▁intellect uals , ▁including ▁Hab erm as , ▁Nik las ▁Lu h mann ▁and ▁Wolfgang ▁Schl uch ter . ▁ ▁Work ▁Par s ons ▁produced ▁a ▁general ▁theoretical ▁system ▁for ▁the ▁analysis ▁of ▁society , ▁which ▁he ▁called ▁" theory ▁of ▁action ", ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁method ological ▁and ▁ep ist em ological ▁principle ▁of ▁" anal yt ical ▁real ism " ▁and ▁on ▁the ▁ont ological ▁assumption ▁of ▁" vol unt ar istic ▁action ". ▁Par s ons ' ▁concept ▁of ▁analyt ical ▁real ism ▁can ▁be ▁regarded ▁as ▁a ▁kind ▁of ▁comprom ise ▁between ▁nom inal ist ▁and ▁real ist ▁views ▁on ▁the ▁nature ▁of ▁reality ▁and ▁human ▁knowledge . ▁Par s ons ▁believed ▁that ▁objective ▁reality ▁can ▁be ▁related ▁to ▁only ▁by ▁a ▁particular ▁encounter ▁of ▁such ▁reality ▁and ▁that ▁general ▁intellectual ▁understanding ▁is ▁feas ible ▁through ▁concept ual ▁schemes ▁and ▁theories . ▁Inter action ▁with ▁objective ▁reality ▁on ▁an ▁intellectual ▁level ▁should ▁always ▁be ▁understood ▁as ▁an ▁approach . ▁Par s ons ▁often ▁explained ▁the ▁meaning ▁of ▁analyt ical ▁real ism ▁by ▁qu oting ▁a ▁statement ▁by ▁Hend