Michel Vâlsan and Anton Dumitriu

The Romanian antiquarian “Historic Paper Treasures & Collectibles” is selling seven letters and notes from Michel Vâlsan (Mustafa 'Abd al-'Aziz) to Anton Dumitriu (1905-1992).

Vâlsan, editor of Etudes Traditionnelles and a Shadhili shaykh in Paris, was originally Romanian but left Romania forever during the Second World War. Dumitriu was also a Romanian Traditionalist but remained in Romania. He taught philosophy at the University of Bucharest until 1948, when he was arrested by the new Communist government, but was able to return to academic work in 1964, and even to travel abroad. 

Dumitriu was known publicly as an expert in logic, but his real interests seem to have been esoteric, moving from Theosophy to Traditionalism. According to the contemporary Romanian Traditionalist Vasile Zecherum (see here) he was a member of a Christian Orthodox mystical group at the Antim Monastery called “Rugul aprins” (the Burning Bush) and also a Freemason. In one of the letters on sale, Vâlsan is responding to a letter from Dumitriu about Orthodox esotericism. Many of Dumitriu's books were on logic, but his Orient și Occident (East and West) of 1943 engages polemically with René Guénon, one of whose books gave Dumitriu his title, and his late work Homo universalis. Încercare asupra naturii realității umane (Homo universalis: An essay on the nature of human reality), 1990, is very much within the Traditionalist frame—and neatly summarized by Zecherum here.

Some of the correspondence is of no great interest—a Happy New Year card, for example. Three letters in French are of more interest. A letter of 1967 deals with sending books, and perhaps marks the re-establishment of contact between the two men after a long break A letter of 1968 deals with Orthodox esotericism, as already mentioned. Finally, in a letter of 1971 Vâlsan explains why he cannot immediately contribute to what seems to have been a proposed series on Ibn Arabi and other Arab esotericists. The 1971 letter uses the familiar “tu” form, so Dumitriu had probably visited Paris and met Vâlsan in person between 1968 and 1971. In general, there seem to have been more letters from Dumitriu to Vâlsan than the other way round.

Dumitriu, then, should be added to the list of active Traditionalists. It is surprising that the Romanian Communists did not object to his Traditionalism, which they must have been aware of. Their tolerance, however, had limits. His Homo universalis was not published until after the end of the Communist regime.

The letters are available here for 600 Lei ($130) and the front page of each can be read on the website for free if you open the image in a new tab.

My thanks to AC for directing me to this small trove.