ensive ▁group ▁discussion ▁which ▁included ▁exchange ▁with ▁child ▁psych ologist ▁Jean ▁Pi aget . ▁ ▁Among ▁the ▁other ▁participants ▁were ▁Mary ▁A . B . ▁Bra z ier , ▁Fried a ▁From m - Re ich mann , ▁Nathan iel ▁Kle it man , ▁Margaret ▁M ead ▁and ▁Gregory ▁Z il bo org . ▁Par s ons ▁would ▁defend ▁the ▁th esis ▁that ▁conscious ness ▁is ▁essentially ▁a ▁social ▁action ▁phenomen on , ▁not ▁primarily ▁a ▁" bi ological " ▁one . ▁During ▁the ▁conference , ▁Par s ons ▁critic ized ▁Pi aget ▁for ▁not ▁sufficiently ▁separ ating ▁cultural ▁factors ▁from ▁a ▁phys i olog istic ▁concept ▁of ▁" energy ". ▁ ▁Mc Car thy ▁era ▁During ▁the ▁Mc Car thy ▁era , ▁on ▁April ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 9 5 2 , ▁J . ▁Ed gar ▁Ho over , ▁the ▁Director ▁of ▁the ▁Federal ▁Bureau ▁of ▁Investig ations , ▁received ▁a ▁personal ▁letter ▁from ▁an ▁inform ant ▁who ▁reported ▁on ▁commun ist ▁activities ▁at ▁Harvard . ▁During ▁a ▁later ▁interview , ▁the ▁inform ant ▁claimed ▁that ▁" P ars ons ... ▁was ▁probably ▁the ▁leader ▁of ▁an ▁inner ▁group " ▁of ▁commun ist ▁sympath izers ▁at ▁Harvard . ▁The ▁inform ant ▁reported ▁that ▁the ▁old ▁department ▁under ▁Sor ok in ▁had ▁been ▁conserv ative ▁and ▁had ▁" loy al ▁Americans ▁of ▁good ▁character " ▁but ▁that ▁the ▁new ▁Department ▁of ▁Social ▁Rel ations ▁had ▁turned ▁into ▁a ▁decis ive ▁left - wing ▁place ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁" P ars ons