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{{Short description|Romanian philosopher, logician, mathematician, professor and journalist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Infobox academic
| honorific_prefix   =
| name               = Nae Ionescu
| honorific_suffix   = 
| image              = Nae Ionescu.jpg
| image_size         = 
| alt                = 
| caption            = 
| birth_name         = Nicolae C. Ionescu
| birth_date         = {{birth date|1890|06|16}}
| birth_place        = [[Brăila]], [[Kingdom of Romania]]
| death_date         = {{death date and age|1940|03|15|1890|06|16}}
| death_place        = [[Bucharest]], Kingdom of Romania
| death_cause        = 
| nationality        = 
| citizenship        = 
| other_names        = 
| occupation         = Philosopher, journalist
| period             = 
| known_for          = 
| spouse             = Elena Margareta Fotino
| partner            = [[Cella Delavrancea]]
| children           = 2
| parents            = 
| relatives          = 
| awards             = 
| website            = 
| education          = 
| alma_mater         = [[University of Bucharest]]<br/>[[University of Göttingen]]<br/>[[Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich|University of Munich]]
| thesis_title       = Die Logistik als Versuch einer neuen Begründung der Mathematik
| thesis_url         = 
| thesis_year        = 1919
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| influences         = 
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| workplaces         = [[University of Bucharest]]
| doctoral_students  = 
| notable_students   = 
| main_interests     = 
| notable_works      = 
| notable_ideas      = {{ill|Trăirism|ro}}
| influenced         = [[Constantin Noica]], [[Mircea Eliade]], [[Emil Cioran]], [[Haig Acterian]], {{ill|Jeni Acterian|ro}}, [[Mihail Sebastian]], [[Mircea Vulcănescu]], [[Petre Țuțea]]
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'''Nae Ionescu''' ({{IPA|ro|ˈna.e joˈnesku|lang}}, born '''Nicolae C. Ionescu'''; {{OldStyleDate|16 June|1890|4 June}} – 15 March 1940) was a Romanian philosopher, [[logic]]ian, mathematician, professor, and journalist.

==Life==
{{Unreferenced section|date=November 2021}}
[[File:Beldie, Ionescu, Theodorescu, Hasnaș.jpg|thumb|Ionescu (second from left) with [[Constantin Beldie]], [[Dem. Theodorescu]], and Spiru Hasnaș, photographed as staff members for Noua Revistă Română (1912)]]
Born in [[Brăila]], Ionescu studied Letters at the [[University of Bucharest]] until 1912. Upon graduation, he was appointed teacher at the [[Matei Basarab National College|Matei Basarab High School]] in [[Bucharest]]. When [[World War I]] began, he traveled to [[German Empire|Germany]] for additional studies at the [[University of Göttingen]]. Romania's entry into the war on the [[Allies of World War I|Entente side]] prevented him from returning, but he was awarded a doctorate in philosophy in 1919 from the [[Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich|University of Munich]]. His thesis was entitled ''Die Logistik als Versuch einer neuen Begründung der Mathematik'' ("Formal logic as an attempt at a new foundation of mathematics").

Back in Romania, after another brief stint teaching, Ionescu was appointed assistant to [[Constantin Rădulescu-Motru]] at the University of Bucharest's department of Logic and Theory of Knowledge.

His life's work had a profound effect on a generation of Romanian thinkers, first for his studies on [[comparative religion]], philosophy, and [[mysticism]], but later for his nationalist and far right sentiment. Some of the figures he influenced include [[Constantin Noica]], [[Mircea Eliade]], [[Emil Cioran]], [[Haig Acterian]], {{ill|Jeni Acterian|ro}}, [[Mihail Sebastian]], [[Mircea Vulcănescu]], and [[Petre Țuțea]]. The [[Existentialism|existentialist]] and partly [[Mysticism|mystical]] school of thought Ionescu introduced bore the name ''{{ill|Trăirism|ro}}''. ''Trăirism'' intersected at several points with the ideology of the [[Iron Guard]]; the connection became even more direct when many of its adherents also publicly associated with the latter.

Ionescu himself was more reserved in his dealings with the Guard. He was the editor of the highly influential newspaper ''[[Cuvântul]]'', which had long backed [[King of Romania|King]] [[Carol II of Romania|Carol II]] – the major rival of the Guard. However, Ionescu moved away from the monarchy due to Carol's inner circle. Ionescu's [[antisemitism]] was a decisive factor in his switching of allegiances: [[Jews|Jewish]] writer [[Mihail Sebastian]]'s ''Journal'' depicts the interval during which Ionescu's virulence grew, as well as the reasons that were animating his large following.{{clarify|date=July 2019}}

===Mihail Sebastian incident===
During the period when Sebastian and Ionescu were still on speaking terms, the latter had agreed to write the preface of Sebastian's book ''De două mii de ani...'' ("For two thousand years..."). Ionescu's introduction shocked Sebastian, who "loved and admired Ionescu",<ref>[[Mircea Eliade|Eliade, Mircea]]. ''Mircea Eliade''. 1990, page 283.</ref> as it included several overtly antisemitic statements. [[Mircea Eliade]] recalls the incident in his autobiography:

<blockquote>"Judah suffers because it must suffer," Nae had written. And he explained why: the Jews had refused to acknowledge Jesus Christ as their Messiah. This suffering in history reflected, in a certain sense, the destiny of the Hebrew people who, precisely because they had rejected Christianity, could not be saved. ''[[Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus]].''<ref name=me285>Eliade, Mircea. ''Mircea Eliade''. 1990, page 285.</ref></blockquote>

Eliade notes that this incident marked a profound departure for Ionescu, who in the late 1920s had suggested to Eliade, who was then his student, that he had been tempted "to give up both journalism and politics and devote myself entirely to Hebraic studies".<ref name=me285 /> Sebastian, though dejected by the incident, opted to keep Ionescu's introduction in the book.

===Later life===
After Carol's crackdown on the [[Iron Guard]], Nae Ionescu and his disciples were rounded up and imprisoned at a makeshift camp in [[Miercurea-Ciuc]]. The experience took a toll on his fragile health, and he died soon thereafter, at age 49. Some close sources indicated that he was assassinated by poisoning due to his involvement with the Iron Guard.<ref>[http://www.elpais.com/articulo/narrativa/Sebastian/mentor/diabolico/elpepuculbab/20090711elpbabnar_2/Tes Sebastian y el mentor diabólico], by Ignacio Vidal-Folch. ''[[El País]]'', 7 November 2009 {{in lang|es}}.</ref><ref name="bzi"/> He was buried at [[Bellu Cemetery]] in [[Bucharest]]; his coffin was carried by some of his disciples, including Mircea Eliade.<ref name="bzi">{{cite web|url=https://www.bzi.ro/adevarul-despre-moartea-lui-nae-ionescu-749110|title=Adevărul despre moartea lui Nae Ionescu| language=ro|website=www.bzi.ro|date=September 26, 2013|access-date=February 23, 2025}}</ref>

===Nae Ionescu's villa in Băneasa===
[[File:Nae Ionescu Ion Antonescu Villa Bucharest Băneasa gate 1.jpg|thumb|right|The entrance of Nae Ionescu's villa in [[Băneasa, Bucharest|Băneasa]]]]

Nae Ionescu was the owner of a luxury villa in Băneasa village (now [[Băneasa, Bucharest|Băneasa neighborhood]], in the northern part of Bucharest), situated at 4 Ion Ionescu de la Brad Avenue (position {{coord|44.498604|26.075206|display=inline}}). It was considered one of the finest Bucharest residences at the time. The house remained in collective memory mainly because it is described in his students' writings ([[Mircea Vulcănescu]] and others). The house was built by architect [[George Matei Cantacuzino]], under its owner's direct supervision.

In his book ''"Nae Ionescu așa cum l-am cunoscut"'' (''"Nae Ionescu As I Knew Him"''), Vulcănescu dedicates many pages in describing this house, in detail. He evokes the fact that a painting of [[El Greco]] was displayed there (a ''Descent from the Cross''), on which Ionescu took great pride.

Nae Ionescu died in this very house, because of a heart attack, on 15 March 1940, while his girlfriend [[Cella Delavrancea]] was present. After his death, the house served as an official residence to [[Mareșal (Romania)|Marshal]] [[Ion Antonescu]] (sometime after his rise in power on 6 September 1940).

After the [[Socialist Republic of Romania|Communist regime]] was installed, the villa was given to the [[University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest|University of Agronomic Sciences]] (since the land of "Ferma Regală Băneasa" ([[Băneasa Royal Farm]]) lies around the building). Today, it is the headquarters of ''"Stațiunea de Cercetare-Dezvoltare pentru Pomicultură Băneasa"'' (statiuneabaneasa.ro), a research facility for [[pomology]].

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Internet Archive author |sname=Nae Ionescu}}
* [http://www.agonia.ro/index.php/poetry/112418/index.html Full text of Ionescu's lectures on the ''Philosophy of Religion''] (in Romanian)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061207033536/http://contrafort.md/2003/100/501_3.html Andrei Oișteanu, "Acuzația de omor ritual (O sută de ani de la pogromul de la Chișinău)(3)", page 4, in ''Contrafort''] (in Romanian)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070812190424/http://www.ziua.net/display.php?data=2007-01-13&id=214108 The beguiling Nae Ionescu] (in Romanian)
* [http://wikimapia.org/13336375/ro/Vila-de-la-%C8%98osea Nae Ionescu's "Villa on The Road" on Wikimapia]  {{Archive url|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111182718/http://wikimapia.org/13336375/ro/Vila-de-la-%C8%98osea|date=2012-01-11}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ionescu, Nae}}
[[Category:1890 births]]
[[Category:1940 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Brăila]]
[[Category:University of Bucharest alumni]]
[[Category:University of Göttingen alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century Romanian essayists]]
[[Category:Camarilla (Carol II of Romania)]]
[[Category:Existentialists]]
[[Category:Members of the Romanian Orthodox Church]]
[[Category:Romanian mathematicians]]
[[Category:Romanian newspaper editors]]
[[Category:Romanian political scientists]]
[[Category:Romanian schoolteachers]]
[[Category:Members of the Iron Guard]]
[[Category:Academic staff of the University of Bucharest]]
[[Category:20th-century Romanian philosophers]]
[[Category:20th-century political scientists]]
[[Category:Prisoners and detainees of Romania]]
[[Category:Burials at Bellu Cemetery]]