Baroque Spirit in Romanian Culture. Possible Educational Alternatives for Contemporaries

This study starts from the premise that the European Baroque culture, which experienced specific forms of manifestation in Romanian society, was influenced by the XVIIth century educational training. Some important factors in this sense were: the Romanian Orthodox faith, the religious feelings and the moral values of society. The interference between the educational system and the Baroque culture was a result of the following aspects: the interest of the Romanian elite for European schools and books, the graduation of schools from Rome and Poland, and their preference for certain readings and studies. Education policy has been the product of the culture and the historical time in which it has manifested. This is the main reason for which the present paper focuses on the XVIIth century, which corresponds best with the time when the baroque manifested itself in the Romanian space. It insists on cultural ideas that were present in the writings of that time and it highlights the facts that were related to the education of the young generation. This paper reveals the connection between the Baroque influence, the historical events, the culture and education of Romanian society. Our documentation was based mainly on the notes taken by the foreign travelers, on the work of Romanian chroniclers and writers.The conclusion reinforces the belief that learning systems should be understood in terms of the cultural influences of that specific period.