Alfred Schütz’s private letter to Talcott Parsons, dated 10 February 1941 in New York, acknowledges correspondence and announces a considered reply. The supplied German version, published in 1977, records a preparatory moment in their exchange: Schütz thanks Parsons for his third letter, dated 2 February and received on 8 February, then explains how he intends to respond.
Ich muß natürlich erst einmal Ihre drei Briefe sehr sorgfältig lesen.
English translation: Naturally, I must first read your three letters very carefully.
By referring to all three letters, Schütz frames his forthcoming response as a consideration of the accumulated correspondence. Careful reading must precede an answer; this note neither resolves the issues nor states a substantive position on them.
Nach eingehender Prüfung aller von Ihnen angeschnittenen Punkte werde ich Ihnen ausführlich antworten.
English translation: After a thorough examination of all the points you have raised, I will reply to you in detail.
The closing sentences qualify this commitment practically: current demands may delay the answer for several weeks, although Schütz promises to respond as soon as possible. The letter’s significance lies in this combination of intellectual care and courteous reassurance. It documents the intended scope and pace of a reply, without supplying the theoretical arguments that reply would develop.
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