For a Possible Theory of Lie: the Case of the Alternate History

Marco Carmello

doi:10.13125/2039-6597/3745

Marco Carmello Complutense University of Madrid

DOI: https://doi.org/10.13125/2039-6597/3745

Abstract

The aim of this article is to discuss the logic of the literary genre of the alternate history. In the first paragraph we introduce the problem of the alternate history and its connection with the truth end the lie; here we try to determine a strong relation between the semantic definition of this genre and the liar paradox. In the second part we will define a short semantics for the lie. In the third paragraph we define the general characteristics of the alternate history, and finally, in the fourth paragraph, we will take in exam an example belonging to this genre: the Morsell’s novel Contropassato prossimo: Un’ipostei retrospettiva (Past Conditional: A retrospective Hypothesis).

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Author Biography

Marco Carmello, Complutense University of Madrid

Insegna presso il Dipartimento Di Studi Romanici, Francesi, Italiani e Traduzione dell’Università Complutense di Madrid, dove è Profesor Contratado Doctor.si è laureato presso la Statale di Milano e si è addottorato presso l’Università di Torino. Si occupa di letteratura italiana moderna e contemporanea, filosofia del linguaggio ed estetica della letteratura, retorica, pragmatica e letteratura comparata. È autore di diversi saggi ed articoli su Pizzuto, Gadda, Morselli, Morante, Michelstaedter, Di Ruscio e Fiore.

Teaches at the Department of Romance, French and Italian Studies and Translation of Complutense University of Madrid, where he is Profesor Contratado Doctor. He earned his MA at Milan State University and his PhD at Turin University. His fields of research modern and contemporary Italian literature, philosophy of language and aesthetics, rhetoric, pragmatics and comparative literature. He wrote books and articles on Pizzuto, Gadda, Morselli, Morante, Michelstaedter, Di Ruscio and Fiore.

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