“We know’ and we have the evidence”: Dietrologia-an Italian turn in conspiracy theory

In Italy’ in the 1970s’ the use of the neologism dietrologia (“behindology”) became widespread to stigmatize an analytical framework that identified collusion among state apparatuses’ Atlanticist organizations’ and neo-fascist groups as responsible for a series of tragic events that began with the Piazza Fontana massacre. Over time’ such minority-supported hypotheses have turned into judicial and historical truths. Whence derived the temptation to extend them to numerous subsequent events. This led to the formation of a veritable behindological milieu. This chapter focuses on behindology as an interesting case of conspiracy theory becoming shared truth. Moreover’ the analysis of the behindological milieu makes it possible to relativize both the prevailing chronologies of the delegitimization of conspiracy theory and the idea of a clear dividing line between legitimate and illegitimate culture.

Analisi di una contestazione di una "verità ufficiale" stigmatizzata come "dietrologia" che nel corso del tempo si afferma come verità" storica e gudiziaria. Il riferimento è alla stagione della "strategia della tensione". Il successo incontrato spingerà poi all'applicazione di quel paradigma a successivi passaggi della storia italiana, generando un verso e proprio campo epistemologico definibile come "dietrologico", in bilico fra legittimità e illegittimità epistemologica