▁in ▁part ▁what ▁led ▁him ▁toward ▁re th inking ▁questions ▁of ▁cultural ▁and ▁social ▁evolution ▁and ▁the ▁" n ature " ▁of ▁tel ic ▁systems , ▁the ▁latter ▁which ▁he ▁especially ▁discussed ▁with ▁B ella h , ▁L id z , ▁Fox , ▁Wil ly ▁de ▁Cra emer , ▁and ▁others . ▁Par s ons ▁became ▁increasing ly ▁interested ▁in ▁clar ifying ▁the ▁relationship ▁between ▁bi ological ▁and ▁social ▁theory . ▁Par s ons ▁was ▁the ▁initi ator ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁Da ed alus ▁conference ▁on ▁" Some ▁Rel ations ▁between ▁Bi ological ▁and ▁Social ▁Theory ", ▁spons ored ▁by ▁the ▁American ▁Academy ▁of ▁Arts ▁and ▁Sciences . ▁Par s ons ▁wrote ▁a ▁memor and um ▁dated ▁September ▁ 1 6 , ▁ 1 9 7 1 , ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁sp elled ▁out ▁the ▁intellectual ▁framework ▁for ▁the ▁conference . ▁As ▁Par s ons ▁explained ▁in ▁the ▁mem o , ▁the ▁basic ▁goal ▁of ▁the ▁conference ▁was ▁to ▁establish ▁a ▁concept ual ▁fund ament ▁for ▁a ▁theory ▁of ▁living ▁systems . ▁The ▁first ▁conference ▁was ▁held ▁on ▁January ▁ 7 , ▁ 1 9 7 2 . ▁Among ▁the ▁participants ▁beside ▁Par s ons ▁and ▁L id z ▁were ▁Ernst ▁May r , ▁Se ym our ▁K ety , ▁Ger ald ▁Hol ton , ▁A . ▁Hunter ▁Dup ree , ▁and ▁William ▁K . ▁W ims att . ▁A ▁second ▁Da ed alus ▁Conference ▁on ▁Living ▁Systems ▁was ▁held ▁on ▁March ▁ 1 – 2 , ▁ 1 9 7 4 ▁and