Jocurile minții. Istoria ideilor, teoria culturii, epistemologie

by Ioan Petru Culianu

Volumul – o culegere de studii, articole, recenzii si proiecte – documenteaza etapele creatiei teoretice a lui Ioan Petru Culianu, de la jumatatea anilor ’70 pina in fatidicul 1991, si incearca sa reconstituie liniile de forta ale unei gindiri complexe si provocatoare. Au fost retinute deopotriva texte deja aparute in periodice, rostite la radio sau in reuniuni academice, precum si inedite. Astfel, cititorul roman are prilejul rar de a urmari evolutia unei personalitati stralucite si novatoare, setoasa de cuprinderea exhaustiva a lumii, capabila de a-i gasi si interpreta intelesurile. Mai mult: scrierile neterminate si inedite ne ajuta sa patrundem intr-un fascinant laborator abandonat prematur si, poate, ne indeamna sa intram in jocurile unei minti inepuizabile.

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Ioan Petru Culianu was a Romanian historian of religion, culture, and ideas, a philosopher and political essayist, and a short story writer. He served as professor of the history of religions at the University of Chicago from 1988 to his death, and had previously taught the history of Romanian culture at the University of Groningen.

An expert in gnosticism and Renaissance magic, he was encouraged and befriended by Mircea Eliade, though he gradually distanced himself from his mentor. Culianu published seminal work on the interrelation of the occult, Eros, magic, physics, and history.

Culianu was murdered in 1991. It has been much speculated his murder was in consequence of his critical view of Romanian national politics. Some factions of the Romanian political right openly celebrated his murder. The Romanian Securitate, which he once lambasted as a force "of epochal stupidity", has also been suspected of involvement and of using puppet fronts on the right as cover.

Reviews

[Ady ZYN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un exercitiu de eruditie pe care Culianu il executa cu maiestrie.

[Sorin Crăcană · Rating 4 out of 5]

lumea in care ar fi murit din cauza varstei inaintate ar fi fost una mai buna