y ▁was ▁just ▁a ▁different ▁world   ... ▁and ▁helped ▁me ▁to ▁really ▁get ▁in ▁to ▁many ▁clar ifications ▁of ▁the ▁assumptions ▁distinct ive ▁to ▁the ▁main ▁line ▁of ▁British ▁util itar ian ▁thought ; ▁assumptions ▁about ▁the ▁' natural ▁identity ▁of ▁interest ', ▁and ▁so ▁on . ▁I ▁still ▁think ▁it ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁true ▁master pie ces ▁in ▁intellectual ▁history ." ▁Par s ons ▁first ▁achieved ▁significant ▁recognition ▁with ▁the ▁publication ▁of ▁The ▁Str ucture ▁of ▁Social ▁Action ▁( 1 9 3 7 ), ▁his ▁first ▁grand ▁synth esis , ▁combining ▁the ▁ideas ▁of ▁Dur k heim , ▁We ber , ▁P are to , ▁and ▁others . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁the ▁International ▁Soci ology ▁Association ▁listed ▁it ▁as ▁the ▁third ▁most ▁important ▁soci ological ▁book ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁Century ▁ ▁Action ▁theory ▁Par s ons ' ▁action ▁theory ▁can ▁be ▁character ized ▁as ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁maintain ▁the ▁scientific ▁rig our ▁of ▁posit iv ism ▁while ▁acknowled ging ▁the ▁necessity ▁of ▁the ▁" subject ive ▁dimension " ▁of ▁human ▁action ▁incorpor ated ▁in ▁herm ene ut ic ▁types ▁of ▁soci ological ▁theories . ▁It ▁is ▁cardinal ▁in ▁Par s ons ' ▁general ▁theoretical ▁and ▁method ological ▁view ▁that ▁human ▁action ▁must ▁be ▁understood ▁in ▁conj unction ▁with ▁the ▁motiv ational ▁component ▁of ▁the ▁human ▁act . ▁Social ▁science ▁must ▁consider ▁the ▁question ▁of ▁ends , ▁purpose , ▁and ▁ide als ▁in ▁its ▁analysis ▁of ▁human ▁action . ▁Par s ons ' ▁strong