Abstract

Facts do not speak for themselves. The way in which we perceive them depends on the theoretical glasses we put on. On the other hand, not even theories can be completely abstract and indifferent to facts. Not, at least, if we intend to assign them a cognitive function and are not satisfied to construct perfect, yet useless, castles of words. The essay addresses the relationship between theory and reality, discussing a volume by Furio Cerutti, in which the fundamental categories of the political lexicon are analyzed in the light of recent «global and lethal challenges».