Abstract

The text discusses the secret in a social and historical perspective, paying particular attention to the peculiar features of the Italian political life and decisional processes. The hypothesis is that exists a collective disturbance of relational functioning that has a remote historical origin and has been producing a wide series of consequences in the social and cultural life. The object of the present reflection is the relationship between citizens and State and the interface between authority and power. In this context, the construction and the maintenance of secrets are understood both as a psychic necessity and a relational obstacle that hinders the institutional functioning.