About «Postverità e altri Enigmi», by Maurizio Ferraris, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2017

Abstract

According to the authoritative opinion of the Accademia della Crusca, “post-truth” is a word which describes “a pseudo-truth based on emotionality and personal convictions, as opposed to objective facts” (Biffi, 2016). ‘After-truth’ means ‘the overcoming of truth’, meaning the loss of the importance of truth. The Treccani Dictionary too stresses the emotional aspect as the defining element of post-truth: “Argumentation characterised by a strong appeal to emotionality which, being based on widespread beliefs rather than verified facts, tends to be accepted as true, influencing public opinion.” The Oxford Dictionaries, which – as is widely known – proclaimed “post-truth” the word of the year in 2016, state that it is a term “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief” (Oxford Dictionaries.com. 16 November 2016).

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