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Nae Ionescu, the Young Generation, ‘The Spiritual Itinerary’ and Education Abroad, 1927–1932

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Intellectuals and Fascism in Interwar Romania

Part of the book series: Modernity, Memory and Identity in South-East Europe ((MOMEIDSEE))

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Abstract

This chapter is devoted to the experiences of the key Criterionists in the 1920s and early 1930s. Bejan starts with a portrait of the most important intellectual influence on the Young Generation, Nae Ionescu. The chapter then introduces the most significant members of the Young Generation as well as how they knew each other. This chapter then presents an in-depth exposition of the material explored by Eliade in his manifesto for the Young Generation: ‘The Spiritual Itinerary’ (1927). As most of these figures pursued higher education abroad, Bejan examines Eliade’s doctoral research in Indian philosophy and yoga in Calcutta, Comarnescu’s doctoral studies in esthetic philosophy at the University of Southern California and Cioran’s philosophy studies in Berlin, where he became enamored of Hitler and Nazism.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Romina Surugiu, Dominante filosofice în publicistica lui Nae Ionescu de la Logos la Cuvântul, 13.

  2. 2.

    Ibid., 14–15.

  3. 3.

    Ibid., 16.

  4. 4.

    MEAI, 330.

  5. 5.

    Nae Ionescu. Curs de logica, 1927–1928, 190. Cited in Surugiu, Dominante filosofice în publicistica lui Nae Ionescu de la Logos la Cuvântul, 13.

  6. 6.

    MEAI, 102.

  7. 7.

    Ibid., 102–103.

  8. 8.

    Mircea Vulcănescu, Nae Ionescu: Aşa cum l-am cunoscut, 27.

  9. 9.

    Ibid. For a list of his lecture topics until 1931, see Nae Ionescu, Opere II Cursuri de Metafizică, 465.

  10. 10.

    Marta Petreu, ‘Modelul şi oglinda: Evelyn Underhill – Nae Ionescu.’ Iordan Chimet, ed. Momentul Adevărului, 337–382.

  11. 11.

    Surugiu, Dominante filosfice în publicistica lui Nae Ionescu de la Logos la Cuvântul, 29; Surugiu cites Nae Ionescu Prelegeri de filosofia religiei, Marta Petreu, ed., 6.

  12. 12.

    MEAI, 148.

  13. 13.

    Ibid.

  14. 14.

    MSJ, 85, October 22, 1936.

  15. 15.

    Ibid., 109.

  16. 16.

    Surugiu, Dominante filosofice în publicistica lui Nae Ionescu de la Logos la Cuvântul, 17.

  17. 17.

    Nichifor Crainic, Zile albe, zile negre, Memorii I, 251–252. Cited in Surugiu, Dominante filosofice în publicistica lui Nae Ionescu de la Logos la Cuvântul, 17.

  18. 18.

    Surugiu, Dominante filosofice în publicistica lui Nae Ionescu de la Logos la Cuvântul, 17.

  19. 19.

    Dora Mezdrea Nae Ionescu: Biografia, Vol. 3, 347–349.

  20. 20.

    MEAI, 227–228.

  21. 21.

    Eliade quoted on the back cover of the second edition of Roza Vânturilor from Chicago, February 28, 1970 (originally published in the review Prodomos No. 10).

  22. 22.

    Dora Mezdrea, Nae Ionescu: Biografia, Vol. 4, 566.

  23. 23.

    MEAI, 131.

  24. 24.

    Eugen Ionescu is the Romanian spelling. In this book I choose to use the French spelling Eugène Ionesco unless quoting another source that uses the Romanian spelling or referring to a book he wrote while in Romania.

  25. 25.

    For more on Jeni Acterian, please see Cristina Bejan ‘The Criterion Association: Friendship, Culture and Fascism in Interwar Bucharest,’ DPhil (PhD) dissertation, University of Oxford, 2010, Bodleian Library.

  26. 26.

    Vanhaelemeersch, A Generation Without Beliefs, 6.

  27. 27.

    Sorin Alexandrescu, ‘Modernists and Antimodernists: Enemies or Friends?’

  28. 28.

    MEAI, 136.

  29. 29.

    Ibid., 257.

  30. 30.

    Ibid., 149.

  31. 31.

    Ibid., 122.

  32. 32.

    In the communist period Sadoveanu worked as director of Bucharest’s National Theatre, appointed in 1956.

  33. 33.

    Ibid., 149.

  34. 34.

    BAR Ach. 17/2001 APPC. Mapa I Ms. 4 (a–d) handwritten journal, January–March 1924.

  35. 35.

    MEAI, 150.

  36. 36.

    Octav Şuluţiu, Jurnal, 69. February 11, 1929.

  37. 37.

    Matei Călinescu, ‘Ionesco and Rhinoceros: Personal and Political Backgrounds,’ East European Politics and Societies, Vol. 9, No. 3 (Fall 1995): 405.

  38. 38.

    Marta Petreu, ‘The Generation Of ’27, Between The Holocaust and The Gulag,’ EURESIS: Cahiers Roumains d’Etudes Litteraires. Translated by Lucrina Ştefănescu and Ioana Zirra. Nos. 3–4 (Fall–Winter 2007), 7.

  39. 39.

    Ibid.

  40. 40.

    These can be found in the original issues of Cuvântul and reprinted in Mircea Eliade. Itinerariu spiritual: scrieri de tinerețe, 1927. Mircea Handoca, ed., 263–362.

  41. 41.

    Mircea Eliade. ‘Linii de orientare,’ 263–267. Originally published in Cuvântul, Year 3, No. 857, September 6, 1927, 1–2.

  42. 42.

    Mircea Eliade, ‘Critica diletantismului,’ 267–272. Originally published in Cuvântul, Year 3, No. 860, September 9, 1927, 1–2.

  43. 43.

    Mircea Eliade. ‘Către un nou diletantism,’ 272–275. Originally published in Cuvântul, Year 3, No. 862, September 11, 1927, 1–2.

  44. 44.

    Mircea Eliade, ‘Între catedra şi laborator,’ 284–288. Originally published in Cuvântul, Year 3, No. 867, September 16, 1927, 1–2.

  45. 45.

    Mircea Eliade, ‘Experienţele,’ 289–292. Originally published in Cuvântul, Year 3, No. 874, September 23, 1927, 1–2.

  46. 46.

    Mircea Eliade, ‘Cultură,’ 304–308. Originally published in Cuvântul, Year 3, No. 885, October 4, 1927, 1–2.

  47. 47.

    Mircea Eliade, ‘Insuficienţa Literaturii,’ 308–312. Originally published in Cuvântul, Year 3, No. 889, October 8, 1927, 1–2.

  48. 48.

    Mircea Eliade, ‘Teozofie,’ 327–331. Originally published in Cuvântul, Year 3, No. 903, October 22, 1927, 1–2.

  49. 49.

    Mircea Eliade, ‘Misticismul,’ 342–346. Originally published in Cuvântul, Year 3, No. 911, October 30, 1927, 1–2.

  50. 50.

    Mircea Eliade, ‘Între Luther şi Ignatiu de Loyola,’ 349–352. Originally published in Cuvântul, Year 3, No. 915, November 3, 1927, 1–2. Mircea Eliade, ‘Ortodoxia,’ 357–360. Originally published in Cuvântul, Year 3, No. 924, November 12, 1927, 1–2.

  51. 51.

    Eliade, ‘Între Luther şi Ignatiu de Loyola,’ 349.

  52. 52.

    Ibid., 352. Anthroposophy is a spiritual philosophy started by Rudolf Steiner, that believes that the world can be intellectually and objectively understood. In 1907 Steiner split with the Theosophical Society, as it was too focused on Indian philosophy (and around Krishnamurti) and he wanted to integrate Christianity into his teachings.

  53. 53.

    Ibid.

  54. 54.

    Eliade, ‘Ortodoxia,’ 357–358.

  55. 55.

    Ibid., 358–360.

  56. 56.

    Eliade, ‘Final,’ 360. Originally published in Cuvântul, Year 3, No. 928, November 16, 1927, 1–2.

  57. 57.

    Petreu, ‘Generation of ’27: Between the Holocaust and the Gulag,’ 7–8.

  58. 58.

    For a vivid presentation and comprehensive analysis of Sebastian’s travels and impressions during this time, see Diana Georgescu. ‘Excursions into National Specificity and European Identity: Mihail Sebastian’s Travel Reportage.’ Under Eastern Eyes: A Comparative Introduction to East European Travel Writing on Europe. Wendy Bracewell and Alex Drace-Francis, eds., 293–324.

  59. 59.

    AMNLR, Mihail Sebastian, Correspondence, Letters to Camil Baltazar. 101/III/10, 192/1–2, from Paris Wednesday November 12, 1930. Published in Hortensia Papadat-Bengescu, et al. Scrisori către Camil Baltazar, 131.

  60. 60.

    MEAI, 145–146.

  61. 61.

    Mircea Eliade, Yoga: Immortality and Freedom, trans. Willard R. Trask, xvi. This text is the expanded version of the research and analysis Eliade began in India in 1929.

  62. 62.

    Maitreyi Devi, It Does Not Die.

  63. 63.

    MEAI, 204.

  64. 64.

    Ibid., 220.

  65. 65.

    Masgaj Imagining Fascism, 82–83.

  66. 66.

    Vanhaelemeersch, A Generation Without Beliefs, 284–285.

  67. 67.

    Traian Filip ‘Cuvînt Inainte,’ Petru Comarnescu Chipurile şi Priveliştile Americii.

  68. 68.

    Ibid., 19.

  69. 69.

    Petru Comarnescu, Homo Americanus, 112–113. Vanhaelemeersch presents a comprehensive account of Comarnescu’s works on the United States in A Generation Without Beliefs, 280–295.

  70. 70.

    Ibid., 208.

  71. 71.

    Petru Comarnescu. America văzută de un tânăr de azi, 83.

  72. 72.

    Ibid., 84.

  73. 73.

    Ibid., 164.

  74. 74.

    Ibid., 171.

  75. 75.

    Ibid., 229–230.

  76. 76.

    Ilinca Zarifopol-Johnston, Searching for Cioran, 82.

  77. 77.

    Emil Cioran, ‘Prin Universitatea din Berlin,’ Vremea 6, No. 316, December 3, 1933, 9. Cited in Marta Petreu, An Infamous Past, 9.

  78. 78.

    AMNLR, Emil Cioran, Correspondence, Letters to Ecaterina Săndulescu. 134/III/4, 14.066/1–2 January 29, 1934.

  79. 79.

    Petreu, An Infamous Past, 9–10.

  80. 80.

    Emil Cioran, ‘Aspecte germane,’ Vremea 6, No. 314, November 19, 1933, 9. Cited in Petreu, An Infamous Past, 8–9.

  81. 81.

    Emil Cioran, ‘Germania şi Franţa sau iluzia păcii,’ Vremea 6, No. 318, Christmas 1933. Cited in Petreu, An Infamous Past, 9.

  82. 82.

    Emil Cioran, ‘Impresii din Munchen. Hitler în conştiinţa germană,’ Vremea 7, No. 346, July 15, 1934, 3. Cited in Petreu An Infamous Past, 11.

  83. 83.

    Emil Cioran, ‘Scrisori din Germania. Revolta sătuilor,’ Vremea 7, No. 349, August 5, 1934, 2. Cited in Petreu, An Infamous Past, 11–12.

  84. 84.

    Ibid.

  85. 85.

    Emil Cioran, ‘Despre o altă Românie,’ Vremea 8, No. 376, February 17, 1935, 3. Cited in Petreu, An Infamous Past, 13.

  86. 86.

    AMNLR, Emil Cioran, Correspondence, Letters to Ecaterina Săndulescu. 134/III/5, 14.067/1–3, July 11, 1935.

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    Cristina A. Bejan

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Bejan, C.A. (2019). Nae Ionescu, the Young Generation, ‘The Spiritual Itinerary’ and Education Abroad, 1927–1932. In: Intellectuals and Fascism in Interwar Romania. Modernity, Memory and Identity in South-East Europe. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-20165-4_2

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