Abstract
The term authenticity has been a very inflected word in recent decades, yet it is a term that is neither clearly understood nor defined by the lay or professional public. But the question also remains whether it can be precisely defined and whether this definition would be desirable at all The first part of the text will therefore guide us through the history of this term, but also of analogous terms and theories.
The second part of the text will then explore the philosophy behind the word authenticity, its discourse effects and possible ways of its perception and application.