Quantavolution and Catastrophe: Introduction to the Series & Q-C Test
Author: Alfred de Grazia
Year: c. 1981
Series: Quantavolution & Catastrophe (Series Introduction)
Local Files
| File | Type | Words | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
../q_intro.txt | Plain text | ~18,052 | 124 KB |
Source: https://grazian-archive.com/quantavolution/QuantaHTML/plaintext/q_intro.txt
Synopsis
This short volume serves as the introduction to the entire Quantavolution & Catastrophe series. De Grazia defines quantavolution — rapid, quantum-leap change in nature and human culture driven by catastrophic events — as opposed to uniformitarianism (gradual change over long periods) or simple evolution.
The key feature is the Q-C Test (Quantavolution-Catastrophe Test): a set of critical criteria for evaluating any claim about ancient history, geology, or mythology. The test asks: does the evidence require a catastrophic interpretation? Does a catastrophist explanation fit better than a gradual one? This is the methodological heart of the entire series.
Essential reading before any other volume — it explains the vocabulary, the goal, and the epistemology that shapes all 15 subsequent volumes.
Structure
- Part 1 — Introduction to the Series: What quantavolution is, why the series was written, and how the volumes relate to each other
- Part 2 — The Q-C Test: The methodological criteria for catastrophist interpretation of any body of evidence
See Also
- Author Index
- Chaos and Creation — first substantive volume
- Lately Tortured Earth — Earth-science companion