Alfred de Grazia

Alfred de Grazia, (born December 29, 1919 in Chicago, Illinois) is a political scientist, author, consultant, and editor.

Early life

De Grazia was born on December 29, 1919 and raised in Chicago. His father, Alfred de Grazia Sr., a musician, emigrated from Licodia-Eubea (Sicily) to the United States in his youth and became of a conductor of big-band promenade concerts of classical music at the Municipal Pier of Chicago in the 1930's and 1940's. His brother Sebastian de Grazia received the 1991 Pulitzer Prize in Biography, his brother Edward was co-founder of the Cardozo Law School at Yeshiva University, and his brother Victor became Deputy Governor of Illinois. His daughter Victoria de Grazia is Professor of Contemporary History at Columbia University and a member of the American Academy. At fifteen he entered the University of Chicago receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1939. Fact|date=September 2008After soldiering in World War II, he received his PhD from the same University in 1948 and election to Phi Beta Kappa.

In World War II, Alfred de Grazia served in the ranks from Private to Captain, in artillery, intelligence, and psychological warfare, participating in six campaigns from North Africa to Italy to France and Germany, receiving several decorations. By war's end, he commanded psychological warfare operations of the American Seventh Army in Southern Germany, having earlier received training in the then new field of psychological warfare at Camp Ritchie, Maryland. With his fiancée, then wife, journalist Jill Oppenheim, he carried on a home-front/war-front correspondence of well over 2,000 lengthy letters, possibly the largest such correspondence of WWII preserved extant, published on the web under the title "Letters of Love and War.".

Political science

After the Second World War, he had a brief stint in publishing, and finished his work for his PhD thesis later published as "Public and Republic: A History of American Ideas of Representation".Fact|date=September 2008

De Grazia first taught at the University of Chicago, then held appointments at University of Minnesota (1947-1950), Brown University (1950-1954), Stanford University (1954-1958) and then (1959-1977) at New York University as Professor of Social Theory.Fact|date=September 2008 He was Professor at Università degli Studi di Bergamo, in Bergamo, Italy, in 2002-2004.

Books in Political and Social Science.

De Grazia's total published production runs to some two score volumes. At first he wrote largely in political theory and method. Several major earlier works in the field are "Elements of Political Science" (1952), [http://www.grazian-archive.com/politics/PolBehavior/title.html] "Public and Republic", [http://www.grazian-archive.com/politics/Republic/Preface.html] "The Western Public" (1954), [http://www.grazian-archive.com/politics/western_public/western_public.pdf] "The American Way of Government" (1957), [http://www.grazian-archive.com/governing/american_way_of_government/tabcon.htm] "Science and Values in Administration" (1961), [http://www.grazian-archive.com/History/SciAdmin/index.html] "Political Behavior and Organization," 2 vol. (1962), [http://www.grazian-archive.com/politics/PolBehavior/title.html] "Apportionment and Representative Government" (1963), and "Republic in Crisis: Congress Against the Executive Force" (1965) [http://www.grazian-archive.com/politics/RepublicCrisis/RepublicInCrisis_title.html] . Besides, he edited "Grass Roots Welfare" (1958), and co-authored "American Welfare". He founded and edited the magazine "The American Behavioral Scientist."

Voluntarism and the New Conservatism Period.

De Grazia directed a group of experts in a sweeping study of the functions and reform of the United States Congress, under the auspices of the American Enterprise Institute. Some of the many proposals of the report, entitled "Congress: Frist branch of Government", (1966-7) ultimately achieved adoption. He contributed to the evolving doctrine to the New Conservatism, including voluntary welfare theory, anti-bureaucratic designs, and the strengthening of the independence and competence of the legislative branch of government. Much of this work was done with the aid of the William Volker Fund, the American Enterprise Institute (which published three of his books as well as a number of articles), the Relm and Earhart Foundations, and New York University.

Radical proposals

De Grazia advocated a radical merger of right and left ideas, especially represented in the book called "Kalos: What is to be Done with Our World?" (1968 ff.) [http://www.grazian-archive.com/governing/kalos/index.html] He wrote two special documents: "40 Stases and Theses for World Reconstruction," [http://www.grazian-archive.com/governing/kalotics2/kalotics_all.html] published with 40 symbolic paintings by the Genovese artist and psychotherapist, Licia Filingeri, in 1995; in pamphlet format in English and Italian, there also appeared "The Kalotic Catechism of the Divine Succession." (2003). Other polemical texts included "Politics for Better or Worse" (1973), [http://www.grazian-archive.com/politics/polbw/Pol_bw.html] "Eight Bads, Eight Goods: The American Contradictions" (1975), akna "Lectures to the Chinese" [http://www.grazian-archive.com/politics/chinese/cover.html] and "Art and Culture: 1001 Questions on Policy" (1979, prepared for the National Endowment for the Arts) [http://www.grazian-archive.com/politics/culture1001/Note.html] . In 1985 he set up a World Headquarters for his utopian Kalos movement at Bombay, with Arun Gandhi, Rashmi Mayur, and others, which collapsed upon his departure.

Alfred de Grazia prepared and advanced proposals for new cities "(The New City)," and structures for Everyman "(The Hacienda)," beginning in 1969 with a plan for the rational transition of a traditional rural area of the island of Naxos, Greece, into urbanism and tourism. In his study of the Bhopal poison chemical, Union Carbide disaster, "A Cloud over Bhopal" (1985), [http://www.grazian-archive.com/governing/bhopal/index.htm] , he urged that multinational corporations be brought into a world order of responsibility.

Quantavolution

Beginning in the 1960s, after encountering Immanuel Velikovsky, his interests turned increasingly toward neo-catastrophism, following the publication of a book on the subject of scientific censorship, "The Velikovsky Affair: Scientism against Science," in which de Grazia defended Velikovsky's work. De Grazia developed his own version of Velikovsky's theories, which he called "quantavolution". By 1985 he had published ten volumes of the "Quantavolution Series;" they deal with subjects as diverse as classical literature and the history of the Solar System.

In 2002, de Grazia was appointed Professor of Methodology and the History of Science at the University of Bergamo. He set up a modest Center for Quantavolution Studies with the help of the Mainwaring Archives Foundation.

In contrast to his earlier works, his writings on quantavolution are largely self-published.

Personal life

With his first wife, Jill Lauterbach Oppenheim (1917-1996), he had seven children. He is now married to the French author Anne-Marie de Grazia and lives in France.

Bibliography

Works by de Grazia

De Grazia has authored/co-authored or edited some 60 books and e-books.

Political Science: (Source: Catalogue of the Library of Congress.)
* "Human Relations in Public Administration: an Annotated Bibliography from the Fields of Anthropology," Public Administration Service, Chicago, 1949.
* "Roberto Michels: First Lectures in Political Sociology," Translation and Introduction, University of Minnesota Press, 1949.
* "An Outline of International Relations," (with George B. de Huszar), Barnes & Noble, New York, 1951.
* "Public and Republic: Political Representation in America," Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1951, 1953; Greenwood Press, Westport, Conn., 1985.
* "The Elements of Political Science," Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1952.
* "The Western Public," Stanford University Press, 1954.
* "The American Way of Government," Wiley, New York, 1957.
* "Grass Roots Private Welfare," editor, New York University Press, 1958.
* "American Welfare," with Ted Gurr, New York University Press, 1961.
* "World Politics: A Study in International Relations," (with Thomas H. Stevenson), Barnes & Noble, New York, 1962, 1966;
* "Politics and Government: the Elements of Political Science," Collier Books, New York, 1962.
* "Essay on Apportionment and Representative Government," American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, Washington, 1963.
* "Apportionment and Representative Government," Praeger, New York, 1963; Greenwood Press, Westport, Conn., 1983.
* "Revolution in Teaching: New Theory, Technology, and Curricula," editor, (with David A. Sohn), Bantam Books, 1964.
* "Programs, Teachers and Machines," editor, (with David A. Sohn), Bantam Books, 1964.
* "Republic in Crisis: Congress Against the Executive Force," Federal Legal Publications, New York, 1965.
* "International Affairs: an annotated and intensively indexed compilation of significant books, pamphlets and articles...," (w. Carl E. Martinson and John B. Simeone), Universal Reference System, general editor, New York, 1965.
* "Twelve Studies of the Organization of Congress," coordinator, American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, Washington, 1966.
* "Congress, The First Branch of Government," editor, Doubleday - Anchor Books, 1967.
* "Congress and the Presidency: Their Roles in Modern Times," with Arthur M. Schlesinger, American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, Washington, 1967.
* "Bibliography of Bibliographies in Political Science, Government, and Public Policy...," general editor, Universal Reference System, Princeton Research Publications, 1968.
* "The Behavioral Sciences: Essays in honor of George A. Lundberg," editor, Behavioral Research Council, Great Barrington, Mass;, 1968.
* "Public Opinion, Mass behavior, and Political Psychology...," (w. Carl E. Martinson and John B. Simeone), Universal Reference System, creator and general editor, Princeton Research Publications, 1969.
* "Economic Regulation: Business and Government...," general editor, (w. Carl E. Martinson and John B. Simeone), Universal Reference System, Princeton Research Publications, 1969.
* "Public Policy and the Management of Science...," general editor, (w. Carl E. Martinson and John B. Simeone), Universal Reference System, Princeton Research Publications, 1969.
* "Administrative Management: Public and Private Bureaucracy...," general editor, (w. Carl E. Martinson and John B. Simeone), Universal reference System, Princeton Research Publications, 1969.
* "Comparative Government and Cultures...," general editor, (w. Carl E. Martinson and John B. Simeone), Universal Reference System, Princeton Research Publications, 1969.
* "Current Events and Problems of Modern Society...," general editor, (w. Carl E. Martinson and John B. Simeone), Universal Reference System, Princeton Research Publications, 1969.
* "Old Government, New People: Readings for the New politics," et al., Scott, Foresman, Glenview, Ill., 1971.
* "Politics for Better or Worse," Scott, Foresman, Glenview, Ill., 1973.
* "Eight Branches of Government: American Government Today," w. Eric Weise, Collegiate Pub., 1975.
* "Eight Bads -- Eight Goods: The American Contradictions," Doubleday - Anchor Books, 1975.
* "Supporting Art and Culture: 1001 Questions on Policy," Lieber-Atherton, New York, 1979.
* "A Cloud Over Bhopal: Causes, Consequences, and Constructive Solutions," Kalos Foundation for the India-America Committee for the Bhopal Victims: Popular Prakashan, Bombay, 1985.

Quantavolution (Source: the Catalogue of the Library of Congress.)
* "The Velikovsky Affair: The Warfare of Science and Scientism," University Books, New Hyde Park, NY, 1966. Sphere Books, London, 1978.
* "Chaos and Creation: an Introduction to Quantavolution in Human and Natural History," Metron Publications, 1981.
* "The Divine Succession: a Science of Gods Old and New," Metron Publications, 1983.
* "Homo Schizo," 2 v., Metron Publications, 1983.
* "God's Fire: Moses and the Management of Exodus," Metron publications, 1983.
* "The lately Tortured Earth: Exoterrestrial Forces and Quantavolution in the Earth Sciences," Metron Publications, 1983.
* "The Disastrous Love Affair of Moon and Mars: Celestial Sex, Earthly Destruction, and Dramatic Sublimation in Homer's Odyssey," Metron publications, 1984.
* "The Burning of Troy and Other works in Quantavolution and Scientific Catastrophism," Metron Publications, 1984.
* "Cosmic Heretics: A Personal History of Attempts to establish and Resist Theories of Quantavolution... 1963-1983," Metron Publications, 1984.
* "Solaria Binaria: Origins and History of the Solar System," w. Prof. Earl R. Milton, Metron Publications, 1984.

Autobiography, Poetry & Belles-Lettres (Source: the Catalogue of the Library of Congress.)
* "Passage of the Year," poetry, Quiddity Press, Princeton, 1967.
* "The Student: At Chicago in Hutchins' Hey-Days," Quiddity Press, Princeton, 1991.
* "The Fall of Spydom: Memoir of a Case of Espionage...," Quiddity Press, Princeton, 1992.
* "The Babe: Child of Boom and Bust in Old Chicago, Umbilicus Mundi," Quiddity Press, Princeton, 1992.
* "The Taste of War: Soldiering in World War II.," Quiddity Press, Princeton, 1992.
* "Twentieth Century Fire Sale," poetry, Quiddity press, Princeton, 1996.

Reviews of his books

* [http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/jstor/wm/wm-3.8-3-toc.html William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, Volume 3.8, Issue 3, p. 438 Alfred de Grazia. Public and Republic; Political Representation in America. Reviewed by Herbert N. Drennon]
*Mississippi Valley Historical Review, Vol. 38, No. 1 (Jun., 1951), p. 92 Alfred De Grazia. Public and Republic; Political Representation in America. Reviewed by S. H. Brockunier
*American Quarterly, Vol. 6, No. 1 (Spring, 1954), pp. 88+90-91. The Elements of Political Science. by Alfred de Grazia. Review author: Steven Muller.

References

External links

* [http://www.grazian-archive.com Grazian Archive] : his website.