Marion Joseph Levy Jr. (December 12, 1918 – May 26, 2002) was an American sociologist noted for his work on modernization theory.
Born in Galveston, Texas, Levy received his doctorate in sociology from Harvard, studying under Talcott Parsons.
He served as Musgrave Professor of Sociology and International Affairs until retirement in 1989.
Levy also produced analytic works on Chinese and Japanese history.
[3][4] The cynical "laws", originally numbering six and ultimately totaling 11, became a commonly quoted source of condensed sociopolitical wisdom.