The Italian sociologist Domenico De Masi, author of “Creative leisure”, in 1995, and other books on economics, work and the contemporary world, has died. His death was reported this Saturday (9). The cause was not disclosed.
De Masi was 85 years old and in August of this year, according to the Italian press, he discovered that he was ill. De Masi was professor emeritus of Sociology of Work at the Sapienza University of Rome and became dean of the Faculty of Communication Sciences.
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An intellectual respected around the world, De Masi defended in his works that leisure was something positive and necessary for human creativity. The sociologist influenced the creation of basic citizenship income in Italy, in 2019, and was one of the great thinkers of the 5 Star Movement party.
The Italian had strong ties with Brazil and in 2010, he was named an honorary citizen of the city of Rio de Janeiro.
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De Masi was born in Rotello, in 1938. He wrote more than ten books published in Brazil. In June, he met with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), in Rome. Before that, in April 2019, he had visited Lula in prison, in Curitiba.
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Lula lamented De Masi’s death in a post on social media. “A tireless intellectual and passionate public man, he has always been a defender of social causes, the advancement of human achievements and a more just and supportive world,” wrote the president.
I am surprised and saddened by the death of my friend, the sociologist Domenico de Masi, whom I last met less than three months ago in Rome. He was, as always, excited, with intelligent analysis and full of ideas and plans.
Tireless intellectual and public man… pic.twitter.com/Vzcf0zeCzE
— Lula (@LulaOficial) September 9, 2023
Editing: José Eduardo Bernardes
