O contextualizare politico-literară a traducerilor lui Titu Maiorescu

Abstract

The text discusses the critical system of Titu Maiorescu, emphasizing the need to reinterpret his work by examining both its concrete and virtual effects, as well as its poten­tial for contemporary relevance. It specifically focuses on Maiorescu’s literary translations from the 1880s and 1890s, suggesting that these translations were influenced by political and diplomatic considerations. The analysis posits that translation served as a form of soft power, enabling Maiorescu to foster connections with international figures and the Romanian royal family. This approach underscores the complexity of Maiorescu’s views on literature, which extend beyond the traditional literary studies focus on aesthetic autonomy. The exe­ gete omitted this aspect of the work, discussing only the translations of Arthur Schopenhau­er. The practice of translation played an important role both in the attempt to promote the new Maiorescu direction internationally, through Carmen Sylva and Mite Kremnitz, and in strengthening diplomatic relations with personalities such as Eduard Grisebach, the Prussian consul in Bucharest in the early 1880s.

Keywords

• cultural synchronism
• cultural diplomacy
• titu maiorescu
• functions of literature
• maiorescu’s translation context