Constantin Noica and the Concept of “Paideia”
As in the case of his lifelong friends, Mircea Eliade and Emil Cioran, some biographical aspects of Constantin Noica’s life have become nowadays a vivid subject of debate, leaving on a secondary level the cultural value of his work. The present study surveys the paideic model of the philosopher Constantin Noica, mainly centered on the relationship between master and disciple. The author therefore proves that the main goal of Noica’s project was to create an intellectual elite (the “Păltiniş School”), able to preserve the Romanian liberal and humanist values, via the so-called “resistance through culture” against the aggression of the communist regime.
Keywords: contemporary Romanian philosophy, Constantin Noica, paideic perspective, master and disciple, parable of the Prodigal Son.
1. For his biography, see “A Biography of C. Noica written and published in England by his wife, Katherine Muston” and “Life and Work. Holograph text written by C. Noica in Monaco in September 1985”, in George Săndulescu (ed.), Noica Anthology vol. 2: General Philosophy, Contemporary Literature Press, Bucureşti, 2011, p. 20-24. See also Nicolae Şt. Noica, Neamul Noica, Cadmos, Bucureşti, 2009; Sorin Lavric, Noica şi mişcarea
legionară, Humanitas, Bucureşti, 2007.
2. Details to be find in Florin Ţurcanu, Mircea Eliade. Prizonierul istoriei, Humanitas, Bucureşti, 2005, p. 223-263. George Săndulescu also talked about Noica, Eliade, Cioran as The Three Wise Men: “Were scattered throughout the world, in three different continents. One of them was in European continent, in Paris. Another one was in American continent – in Chicago. And last one, once the richest, but also the most life-harassed one was in Bucharest, in the Communist Continent.” See George Săndulescu (ed.), Noica Anthology vol. 1: Doing Time, Contemporary Literature Press, Bucureşti, 2010, p. 21.
3. An overview can be seen at Andrei Cornea, De la Şcoala din Atena la şcoala de la Păltiniş, Humanitas, Bucureşti, 2004.
4. The most serious accusations have been made by Alexandra Laignel-Lavastine, Filozofie şi naţionalism. Paradoxul Noica, translated by Emanoil Marcu, Humanitas, Bucureşti, 1998.
5. Constantin Noica, Jurnal filosofic, Humanitas, Bucureşti, 1990.
6. Constantin Noica, Jurnal de idei, Humanitas, Bucureşti, 1990.
7. Constantin Noica, Jurnal filosofic, p. 117.
8. Ibidem, p. 47.
9. Ibidem, p. 30.
10. Ibidem, p. 38-39.
11. Ibidem, p. 23.
12. Ibidem, p. 23.
13. Ibidem, p. 26.
14. Ibidem, p. 7-8.
15. Ibidem, p. 9.
16. Ibidem, p. 62.
17. Ibidem, p. 8.
18. Ibidem, p. 92-93.
19. Ibidem, p. 94.
20. With reference to the parable of The Prodigal Son (Lc. 15, 11-32), the theme of the brother in Noica’s is put in a parallel with other philosophical and theological contemporary reading, such as Ioan I. Ică’s “The book of the Prodigal Son. A biblical parable in six readings for the contemporary man”, second edition, Deisis, Sibiu, 2012.
21. Constantin Noica, Jurnal filosofic, p. 9.
22. Ibidem, p. 93.
23. Ibidem, p. 27.
24. Ibidem, p. 5.
25. Ibidem, p. 5.
26. Gabriel Andreescu published in the magazine “The time”, edition 11/2010 and 12/2010( with the titles: “Constantin Noica in archives: the attachment of victory facing the tomator” and “Notes regarding the collaborations of Constantin Noica”) his observation resulted from the research of Security’s files elaborated in relation with Constantin Noica ( two files of informative tracking, the volume I 01516/14 and I 3718/3, one criminal record: the volume P 000777/16, two SEI microfilmed files, one personal and one of tracking). The thousands of pages written by the author seem conclusive to him regarding the relationship that Constantin Noica had with the Security, and with reference to the phenomenon known today as “resistance through culture”.
27. Constantin Noica, Jurnal filosofic, p. 39.
28. Ibidem, p. 40.
29. Ibidem, 41.
30. Ibidem, p. 55-56.
31. Ibidem, p. 69.
32. Ibidem, p. 69.
33. Ibidem, p. 97.
34. Ibidem, p. 99.
35. Ibidem, p. 103.
36. See also Constantin Noica, Jurnal de idei, p. 32.
37. Constantin Noica, Jurnal filosofic, p. 79-80.
38. Ibidem, p. 117.
39. Gabriel Liiceanu, Jurnalul de la Păltiniş, Humanitas, Bucureşti, 1996.
40. Constantin Noica, Jurnal filosofic, p. 84-85.
41. Jacqueline de Romilly, “Du chemin de la vérité”, în George Săndulescu (ed.), Noica Anthology vol. 2: General Philosophy, p. 15-16.
