ABSTRACT
As Alexandru Dimitrie Xenopol grew to maturity, international events were changing the political situation of the Danubian Principalities. Alexandru began his education in a small private school run by his father, who taught in French. Although Titu Maiorescu wrote to admonish Xenopol for taking too many courses, the former teacher tried also to encourage young Alexandru by saying that this temptation was not unusual for talented students. Throughout the 1850's and 1860's, those Romanians who could afford to do so continued to send their sons to western Europe for their advanced education, although after 1848 Germany became a more popular choice than France. Basing his doctoral thesis in law on his solid background in Latin, Xenopol wrote on the principle of limited liability in Roman law. Romanian. The incompatibility of Xenopol's view of culture with Maiorescu's view is clearly seen in their differing approaches to language and literature.
