Breaking the barriers of Romanian
conformism. Dissent and scientific critique of Communism in mathematician
Mihai Botez’s thinking.A case study.
published in HISTORY OF COMMUNISM IN EUROPE, Vol II. – 2011, Avatars of Intellectuals under Communism, pp. 345-369.
Abstract: This study discusses
the case of mathematician and futurologist Mihai Botez, one of the most important
Romanian dissident thinkers in the 1980s. Using unedited documents from
personal archives, documents from the archives of the former Securitate, Radio
Free Europe, as well as oral history sources, this study emphasizes how Mihai Botez’s dissidence emerged,
the main directions of his dissident project, similarities in terms of ideas
with other dissidents in Eastern Europe/Soviet Union, the relevance of his
dissent in relation to Communist power and Romanian society. The study consists
of two parts, each divided in several sub-themes. Th e first part of this study
deals with investigating the intellectual roots of Botez’s dissident thinking,
discussing also the influence that his professional education had on the rise
of his political consciousness. It also discusses the main directions of Mihai Botez’s
dissidence: the conceptualization of solitary dissidence as a first step towards
individualizing a group of independent critical intellectuals, dissident
strategies, and expected results. The second part deals with Mihai Botez’s
works and research aimed at developing the cybernetics of Communist regimes.His
dissident project aimed at bringing to light the parallel society that existed
but which kept silent, encouraging diversity of views and creating pressure from
society, one capable of influencing government strategies.
Finally, we will dedicate few
pages to how Botez’s dissent was perceived in Romanian society before and after
1989, the perpetuation of theories and rumors of his being a Securitate collaborator,
and how this affected the collective image of the value of his dissident
activity.
Keywords: Romania
© Copyright Dissidentia 2012.
© Copyright Dissidentia 2012.
