ABSTRACT
This chapter, based on Parsons’s evolutionary theory (Parsons 1966, 1971d, 1974b), has a particular focus on the special conditions-as contrasted with Western Europe-for the development of U.S. society. Parsons argues that the American inheritance from Europe was highly selective and that the cultural selection enjoyed a protected environment in North America for cultural and social evolution. He drafted a first version of the chapter in the summer of 1973, following the early versions of the two previous chapters. The issue of the interpretation of U.S. history, however, was reopened as Parsons studied the text of Bellah’s (1975) The Broken Covenant. Parsons felt that Bellah’s interpretation was guilty of moral absolutism and that it did not recognize that “as nations go, the [U.S.] record has been rather creditable” (Parsons 1977c). Consequently, he wrote anew the chapter, in its current version, in the second half of 1977. The chapter was further revised later with the addition of references and inserts. A peculiarity of the chapter is the frequency with which Parsons uses examples from his personal and family history to illustrate the crucial points of U.S. history as well as his willingness to express personal opinions in a relatively outspoken way.—Editor
3.1. Prologue
Before entering on the development of a necessarily sketchy account of the historical background of the present state of American society, I should like to present a few theoretical considerations illustrated by some non-American historical examples. The most important focus of the background sketch to
follow will be the thesis that a crucial feature of the situation at the founding of the Republic was what I shall call the “neutralization of religion.”
