IONESCU, NAE
(1890–1940)

Nae Ionescu, the Romanian logician, metaphysician, and religious philosopher, studied at the University of Bucharest and received his doctorate from the University of Munich in 1919 with the thesis Die Logistik als Versuch einer neuen Begründung der Mathematik. From 1920 on he was professor of logic, history of logic, and metaphysics at the University of Bucharest. He was also the editor in chief (1924–1928) and director (1928–1934) of the newspaper Cuvântul, in which he published more than 1,000 articles on religious, political, and economic problems.

Ionescu's scholarly publications were few—some articles on logic, a few prefaces, and a series of articles in the theological journal Predania (1937–1938). Nevertheless, his influence from 1922 to 1940 was enormous. His teachings and writings inspired a new interest in metaphysics and religious philosophy in Romania. Although he was primarily a logician, he strove to understand all forms of human activity. According to Ionescu, the philosopher must take into consideration not only the theoretical expression of historical life—from religion to logic and science—but also its meaningful creations: crafts, arts, biographies, political events, and all others. He approached the history of logic, as well as the history of metaphysics and of religion, as a typology of the human spirit. Such a typology he regarded as always a creation of history and ultimately of life. This seems to imply a radical historicization of the mind's activities, but God, for Nae Ionescu, is present in history through the Incarnation. On the other hand, man's mode of being is completely fulfilled only through death, and death is above all transcendent.

See also Logic, History of; Philosophy of Religion.

Bibliography

works on ionescu

A complete posthumous edition of Ionescu's philosophical works in twelve volumes was announced during World War II, but only three volumes were published: Istoria Logicei (Bucharest, 1941) and Metafisica, 2 vols. (Bucharest, 1942–1943). New editions of many of Ionescu's works appeared during the 1990s, all edited by Marin Diaconu and published by Humanitas Press, Bucharest, most notably: Curs de metafizica (2 vols., 1991 and 1995; Lectures in metaphysics), Curs de istorie a logicii (1993; Lectures in the history of logic), and Curs de logica (1993; Lectures in logic).

works on ionescu

In English

Calinescu, Matei. "The 1927 Generation in Romania: Friendship and Ideological Choices (Mihail Sebastian, Mircea Eliade, Nae Ionescu, Eugene Ionesco, E. M. Cioran)." East European Politics and Societies 15 (3) (2001): 649–677.

In German

Müller, Hannah. "Mircea Eliade und Nae Ionescu. Der Schüler und sein Meister." Zeitschrift für Religionswissenschaft 12 (1) (2004): 79–98.

In Romanian

Bradatan, Costica. O Introducere la istoria filosofiei românesti în secolul XX (An Introduction to the History of Romanian Philosophy in the Twentieth Century). Bucharest: Romanian Cultural Foundation Press, 2000.

Mircea Eliade (1967)

Bibliography updated by Vicki Harper (2005)