Conceptul lui A. D. Xenopol de serie istorică și progresul spiritual
A. D. Xenopol’s concept of the historical series and spiritual progress

Summary/Abstract: This article examines A. D. Xenopol’s theory of historical series as one of the most original contributions of Romanian philosophy to the theory of history. Con­ceived at the turn of the twentieth century and articulated in Les principes fondamentaux de l’histoire (1899) and La théorie de l’histoire (1908), Xenopol’s model distinguishes between natural causality, governed by repetition, and historical causality, governed by succession. The concept of the historical series, defined as a succession of unique and temporally indi­vidualized events, serves as the methodological counterpart of natural law within the domain of history. Xenopol emphasizes the epistemological role of seriality in explaining continuity and transformation, while also recognizing the limits of historical prediction: although indi­vidual events remain unpredictable, serial structures reveal tendencies and conditions that shape historical development. His theory integrates moral and spiritual dimensions, under­lining the significance of ideas, ethical values, and great personalities alongside scientific and political factors. In this sense, Xenopol aligns with broader European debates on the relation­ship between science, morality, and progress, while maintaining the primacy of political structures in determining historical change. The article situates Xenopol’s thought within the context of Romanian and European philosophy, contrasting it with related conceptions such as Vasile Pârvan’s metaphysical vision of history. Ultimately, Xenopol’s theory of historical series emerges as both an epistemological framework and a philosophy of spiritual progress, whose reception in France, Germany, and beyond testifies to its lasting significance.

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