Horia-Roman Patapievici

Horia-Roman Patapievici is a physicist, essayist and a living example of the curious, polyglot, European humanist. His cultural and scientific interests range from physics and philosophy, to theology, mathematics, history, literature, poetry and music. A supporter of libertarian economic policies and known for his defiant attitude towards Romania’s communist past, Patapievici served as a member of the National Council for the Study of the Securitate Archives between 2000-2005, supporting openness regarding the secret service’s files in the hope to come to terms with its tainted legacy. Between 2005 and 2012, he headed the Romanian Cultural Institute, resolutely defending its right to be free of governmental interference. Since 2004, he has served as the editor-in-chief of the cultural journal Idei în dialog. Patapievici’s books, mostly dealing with contemporary ideologies and modernity, include Omul recent (‘The Recent Man’, 2001) and Discernamântul modernizarii (‘Insight into Modernization’, 2004).