Sorin Lavric

Sorin Lavric was born in 1967 in Turnu Severin, Romania.[1] He studied medicine at the Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy between 1987 and 1993. The following year, he did an internship at the Brăila County Hospital, which included 3 months of gynecology. However, in 1990, he also started studying philosophy and joined in 1991 at the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Bucharest. According to him, he only studied medicine because at that time (1987), during the communist period of Romania, it was not worth studying philosophy.[2][3]

After his internship, Lavric realized he disliked medicine and had to choose between becoming a physician and not being able to aspire to be a philosopher or giving up medicine. Lavric chose the latter option and had to be supported by his wife for 2 years.[2] He completed his studies on 1996[3] and was offered in 1997 a job as an editor at the publishing house Humanitas by the Romanian philosopher Gabriel Liiceanu.[2] In 2005, he obtained a doctorate in philosophy.[3] Liiceanu, who was coordinator in Lavric's thesis for the doctorate, has expressed surprise at his posterior controversial comments, saying that it is as if Lavric had undergone "a personality substitution operation", "as in science fiction movies".[4]

Lavric has written several books, such as Cartea de Craciun ("Christmas Book", 1997), Ontologia lui Noica. O exegeza ("Noica's ontology. An exegesis", 2005) and Noica și Mișcarea Legionară ("Noica and the Legionary Movement", 2007). He has also done several translations.[3][4]

Lavric has made several comments characterized as racist, homophobic and misogynistic; these have given him a certain notoriety in the past.[1][4] In his book Decoct de femeie ("Decoction of women"), he wrote that "no man seeks in women cleverness, depth, or lucidity". He has also described the Roma people (Gypsies) as a "social plague".[3] In an interview, Lavric denied being a misogynist and explained his thoughts and declarations, stating that "I cannot say that a woman excels in logical thinking, especially in philosophical skills".[5] Furthermore, Lavric has admitted being a misanthrope.[2]

Because of his comments, the Writers' Union of Romania expelled him from the association and from the position of editor in the magazine România literară.[1] In the same interview, which was posterior to this event, Lavric said he was surprised when he heard about this as it was not directly communicated to him and that he felt "hit" by his own teammates. He added that he did not feel resentful for this.[5]

Lavric joined the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR) because, according to him, he was against the corrupt attitudes of the political class and because he coincided with the thoughts of George Simion and Claudiu Târziu,[5] the co-presidents of the AUR.[6] He also stated that he was pro-European and supported NATO, but opposed a European "federal superstate run [...] from Brussels".[5] In an interview with Simion and Târziu, they said that Lavric (and the AUR) did not hate women or support misogynistic ideas.[6] Lavric was the proposed senator of the AUR for the Neamț County in 2020.[7] Currently, he is the President of the Senate of the AUR.[8]