In his early writings, Rădulescu-Motru acknowledged as a valuable gain the fact that psychology had emancipated itself from the tutelage of metaphysics. However, he believed that this progress could not lead to a scientific psychology unless its outcomes were integrated into the broader scientific understanding of nature. In the following, I will discuss Rădulescu-Motru’s ideas concerning the founding of psychology as a natural science. His project essentially involves three directions: (1) conceptual reconsideration, (2) uniformization, and (3) regulation of the soul. (...) I will also show that throughout this process, Rădulescu-Motru remained committed to methodological naturalism. (shrink)

In this paper, an interpretation is attempted of the Romanian myth, “Legenda despre zidirea lumii”. Parallels are drawn with tales such as Genesis, the Babylonian narrative of Marduk constructing the world from Tiamat, and the Norse sto­ry of Odin shaping the world from Ymir. In the Romanian myth, Satan’s prideful omis­sion to enunciate God’s blessing as he collects sand results in the formation of varied terrains. His attempt to harm God inadvertently spreads divine blessings all over the world. Similarly, in (...) Norse and Yoruba myths, stifling barriers and attempts at desecra­tion lead to the paradoxical spreading of life and blessings, emphasizing the unforeseen outcomes of resistance to divine will. (shrink)

Husserl’s posterity has reconsidered the phenomenological topic, exploring directions and consequences barely outlined by its founder. Scholars such as E. Straus, M. Merleau-Ponty, H. Maldiney, J. Garelli, M. Richir, and others reshaped Husserl’s genuine phenomenology by giving up the Husserlian ideal of founding phenomenology as a “rigorous science”. Contrary to this, they underscored in their writings a new layer of reality: that of an “archaic” world preceding the symbolic one (in the sense of Husserl and Lacan). E. Straus made his (...) debut with the pioneering work Du sens des sens (1935), where he advanced the project of a phenomenological psychology and introduced a distinction between symbolic and non-symbolic phenomenology. This research direction would be established by M. Richir, whose writings marked a significant “turn” in contemporary phenomenology. The present paper delves into the coordinates of this new line of thinking, wherein pre-ontologic or pre-reflexive essences show themselves as having a higher degree of freedom compared to classic predicative ones (as seen, for instance, in the venerable tradition from Plato to Hegel). Especially through a rethinking of Kant’s criticism, non-symbolic phenomenology advances the phenomenological unconscious with its exceptional creative spontaneity, materialized, for instance, in works of art. As the creative activity of the phenomenological unconscious emerges to pave the way towards the new, not only in art, we take the opportunity to highlight the professional and noteworthy contributions of some young Romanian academics. In the end, we conclude by offering critical remarks on several unclear aspects revealed by the problematic meeting point between the symbolic and the phenomenological, aspects that previous exegetes have overlooked until now. (shrink)

The following study presents a concise historical overview of natural philosophy, examining the interpretations of the human psyche and their development up until the contemporary era. The presentation focuses on some of the main theories regarding the nature and functions of the mind, aiming to contrast them with one of the unfulfilled intellectual projects of the Romanian polymath C. Rădulescu-Motru. Specifically, his project aimed to establish a philosophical system addressing the intricacies of the human soul in the context of the (...) scientific advances considered modern at the time–a system he referred to as the new science of the soul. His objective was to provide a comprehensive perspective encompassing all areas of knowledge in order to mitigate their tendency towards determinism, mechanism and biologism, which were spreading from the direction of the natural science. (shrink)

In the following essay, I analyze various uses of the term ‘love’ in science, philosophy, and theology. In science, the term is employed to quantitatively describe the behavioral parameters of love. In philosophy it is utilized to analyze love on an ontological level, considering it as a virtue of both the individual and the community. In theology, the term is used to propose a virtue that institutes ontology itself. I argue that it is the freedom and responsibility of each person (...) to orient themselves in a coherent manner regarding the choice of these uses. (shrink)

In the present study, I briefly explore the problem of unity in Constantin Noica, a matter he considered ontological par excellence and resolved through his fundamental concept of “becoming”. Here, I approach the issue of unity from an epistemological perspective. Additionally, I initiate a discussion on the relationship between thought and soul – a discourse that carries ontological implications, as it begins with individual realities and extends to encompass general situations.

In his late works, such as “The Road since Structure”, Thomas Kuhn revised his view on the development of scientific knowledge, described as a succession of stages of “normal science” and “extraordinary research” leading to the replacement of one paradigm by another, and proposed a linguistic approach to the advancement of scientific knowledge based on the concepts of conceptual network and lexicon. I believe that Kuhn’s proposal can be used as a heuristic tool for understanding the process of scientific growth, (...) including in psychology. In this regard, C. Rădulescu-Motru’s “Psychology Course” from 1923 is an exemplary case, marking the transition from speculative psychology, based on substantialist Aristotelian concepts, to an empirical psychology, based on experimental research – a program initiated by Franz Brentano and John St. Mill. This course thus crowns the Romanian philosopher’s efforts to develop a scientific lexicon and reinforce the conceptual network specific to psychology, an approach that places him in synchronicity with the Western philosophical and scientific community. (shrink)

Holder of two degrees – one in religious studies (1930) and the other in philosophy (1947), both obtained from the University of Bucharest –, as well as au­thor of significant works covering the two aforementioned fields, Constantin C. Pavel, professor and theologian, imposed himself as a remarkable personality in Romanian re­ligious and philosophical culture. He is well-known for his moral philosophy, referenc­ing human nature and condition, and expertly expressing his opinion on the disastrous impact that modern culture and its civilizational (...) components have on human beings. The current study brings to attention the aspects raised by this approach, specifically the human–culture–religion triad, from the positions of the Orthodox Christian doctrine embraced by Constantin C. Pavel in "Tragedia omului în cultura modernă" [The tragedy of man in modern culture]. (shrink)

The sources related to Rădulescu-Motru’s activity, encompassing monographs, studies, articles, and memoiristic or journal-like works, highlight the formative and creative aspects mostly within the country, exhibiting an enumerative, chronological, and synthetic nature. Understanding Rădulescu-Motru’s work also necessitates insight into the scientific environments of his primary West European locations, Paris and Leipzig. The following paper aims to reconstruct the scientific atmosphere during his studies with Jean-Martin Charcot and Wilhelm Wundt in both Paris and Leipzig.