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This chapter intends to dwell on some problematic junctions of Iorga's political and social vision, undoubtedly profoundly influenced by his prolific production of erudite historical, anthropological and cultural studies. Therefore, and albeit briefly, the main lines of his national-conservative conceptions will be addressed. They include both an ethno-cultural approach and a corporative vision of the economy, inspired by the guilds of medieval origin, but also by the social trends promoted from Italian fascism. Among other things, his harsh criticism of revolutionary processes (both Soviet and French) contributed to this approach, strengthening his curious Anglophilia which, in some respects, appears to be in dissonance with the set of traditional British values. Furthermore, his national-conservatism has manifested a significant anti-Semitic component, in this falling within a wider European context, to which other political figures like Ante Starčević, Ernest Rénan or Roman Dmowski have referred. Of course, as time evolved, Iorga has toned down his criticism of the Jews of his youth, especially since he always maintained an open and anti-isolationist vision of the international relations, while remaining critical of cosmopolitanism. In short, in many respects Iorga is perceived as a culturally rich but politically contradictory personality. Further confirmations come from his concerns regarding the geopolitical role of Greater Romania and South-Eastern Europe. Additionally, his support to minorities rights and the maintenance of peace, on the very eve of the Second World War, even though he remained convinced that the conception of the state of the Balkans was underdeveloped and distant from the Western culture, whose modernization he tenaciously criticized.
Translated title of the contributionPolitics and Society in the vision of Nicolae Iorga
Original languageItalian
Title of host publicationRitratto di Nicolae Iorga. Storico, uomo di cultura, patriota. A ottant’anni dalla sua tragica scomparsa
EditorsGiuseppe Motta, Roxana Mihaly
Place of PublicationRome
PublisherEdizioni nuova Cultura
Pages217-244
ISBN (Print)9788833654522
StatePublished - 10 Mar 2022

ID: 101462576