The scarlet letter of “post-truth”: the sunset boulevard of communication

Abstract In this paper post-truth mechanisms in discourse are taken into account and the attempt is made to understand how language is used in communication characterized by post-truth. A brief description of the word post-truth is given, together with some etymological notes which can shed light on how truth is conceptualized in various languages. The meaning of post-truth and its denotation are then discussed, and it is shown that people involved in communication about post-truth as well as in post-truth messages do not rely on personal common ground, which requires a serious ontological commitment and genuine interpersonal relations. Without such a commitment no communication can be taken seriously and only ideological constructs with poor relevance for human life are left.