COMMENTS
It is useful to see Some Comments on the PRINCIPIA and prior work leading up to it. Comments ceased to be compiled a year or two after the PRINCIPIA was published in 1999. The sequence of listing is not significant.
SOME QUOTES REGARDING PRINCIPIA IDEOLOGICA AND PRIOR WORK LEADING TO IT
Jerome D Frank-Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. The point that ideologies do powerfully influence behavior and are a threat to peace is certainly true and very well made. —Jerome D. Frank
Peter Megwa, Secretary, Nigerian Students Association For The Advancement Of Knowledge And Understanding, Owerri, Nigeria. First and foremost, let me hereby on behalf of the entire members of our Organisation, whole-heartedly express our most profound appreciation, immeasurable gratitude and great admiration for your remakable, highly exemplary and fruitfully inspiring contributions to the rapid advancement of higher learning. [The letter referenced Seadler’s comprehensive paper “Ideologic Essentials of Public Administration” in Management Handbook For Public Adminstrators (Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1978) and paper “Ideologics” in Societal Systems / Methodology, Modeling, and Management (Elsevier North-Holland, 1978)] –Peter Megwa
Professor John W Sutherland, University College, Rutgers University. Now that my book, Administrative Decision-Making / Extending The Bounds Of Rationality [Van Nostrand Reinhold Decision Science Series, 1977] has been out and running for a few months, I wanted to take an opportunity to thank you for your contributions to its development and success. The publishers, reviewers, and I all agree that the section you developed on “Ideologics” strengthens the book immeasurably. I know that you spent considerable time in the Fall of 1976 working on that section, but I think it was very worthwhile indeed…Your many corrections, rewrites and editing suggestions — especially on the complexities of the models and constructs — has largely made this book what it is. Without the hundreds of hours you donated to the manuscript, I simply could not have had it published with the confidence that I did. –John W Sutherland
Professor Ashley Montagu, Departments of Anthropology, Rutgers and Princeton Universities. In spite of heavy pressures I managed to disencumber myself for a bit until I had read what you had written [“Introduction to Ideologics”]. I suspected it would be good, but it is even better than that…In the name of reason man has become the most irrational of creatures. In the name of morality, the most immoral. But he is also the most educable…So keep up the good work. –Ashley Montagu
Bernard Baruch, WWI Chairman of the War Industries Board, WWII Special Advisor to the Secretary of State, US Rep. to the UN Atomic Energy Commission, Advisor to Presidents. It was with great interest that I read your guest editiorial Ideological Disarmament in Washington Report…It is an interesting point. —Bernard Baruch
Adolf A Berle, Resigned from American Delegation to WWI Paris Peace Conference in protest against terms of the Versailles Treaty, Member of FDR’s Brain Trust, Assistant Secretary of State, Professor of Law, Columbia University Law School. The task of setting up a new ideological dimension is, as you say, an urgent one…A great movement, religious or otherwise, is indicated. —Adolf A. Berle
Paul G Hoffman, Chairman of Studebaker-Packard, Head of the Marshall Plan in Europe, US Ambassador to the United Nations. I cannot emphasize to you too strongly how important the work you propose is…I cannot endorse it too strongly. Something like this absolutely must be done. —Paul G. Hoffman
Nelson Rockefeller, Governor of New York, Vice President of the United States. Clearly without such an understanding, our policies are doomed to futility, as you suggest. —Nelson Rockefeller
W Averell Harriman, Ambassador to the USSR, Secretary of Commerce, Governor of New York, Under Secretary of State, Chief US Negotiator at the Paris Peace Talks on Vietnam. Your presentation is thought-provoking. Ideologies have played an important role in world affairs, and aggresssive ideologies have in the past led to war. —W. Averell Harriman
Franklin P Huddle, Special Assistant for Arms Control, Department of Defense. I have had the privilege of reading your magnificent series of radio talks [‘Defenses of Peace’]…If I could have permission to cite your fine paper it would strengthen my own. —Franklin P. Huddle
Cornelius Vanderbilt, Jr, Scion of the Vanderbilt family. I don’t know whether you know it or not, but this young man has written one of the very most important papers of his day. [Defenses of Peace] —Cornelius Vanderbilt, Jr
Minnie E Fane, Librarian, Grandmother, Eldore, Iowa. I attended the Iowa Library Association District Meeting at Mt Pleasant last week and heard your after dinner talk ‘Defenses of Peace’…and I would like to have a copy of it if that is possible…I thought your message of such high caliber I wish my grandchildren, who range in age from 13 years to 26 years old, could hear it or at least read it. —Minnie E. Fane
Col. James M. Boyd, Headquarters, United States Air Force. I read your proposals with great interest and would hasten to agree that we must make an all-out effort in the ideological aspect of the present conflict [‘Cold War’]…if we can ever make progress in this area, we can bring about the easing of political tensions and this, in turn, could provide the basis for proposals such as we discussed at the Iowa Conference.
Leo Cherne, Executive Director, Research Institute of America; Director, International Rescue Committee. I have gone through your paper on the ‘Defenses of Peace’ with great interest. Your insights into the way the Communists translate ideology into violence are remarkable for the way in which they translate ideology into violence are remarkable for the way in which they reduce some very complex ideas to understandable concepts…I hope your paper will get maximum circulation and the attention it deserves…I would also like to add that we all read your guest editor piece (“Ideological Disarmament”) in the Washington Report [of the American Security Council, Feb. 4, 1963] with great interest. I think the term ‘Ideological disarmament’ is an excellent one…Your additional paragraph variation aimed at removing the ideological warhead from Marxism-Leninism proceeds toward a desirable goal.
Christopher Mayhew, M.P., House of Commons, London. Thank you very much for your letter (on ideological defense and ideological disarmament) and for your penetrating comments on the ‘Coexistence Plus’ thesis…In the future I shall stick more closely to the phrase on which we are agreed — ‘ideological disarmament’ …I am certainly most grateful to you…
Frank J. Johnson, Foreign Editor, Washington Report, American Security Council, March 10, 1964. May I say only how tremendously impressed I am with the cogency and accuracy of your analysis of the present ‘detente.’ I trust that you have sent copies (of Defenses, Part II) to appropriate Government officials. It should be required reading by everyone who has persuaded himself that there has been a genuine change of heart by the Soviet leaders in the last 18 months.
Admiral Henry E. Eccles, USN (Ret.) in a handwritten note passed to Seadler at a Strategy for Peace Conference in Airlie House, Warrenton, Virginia, probably 1964. You have very clearly mentioned a few of the forces I had in mind.
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