Abstract

When we speak about the source of meaning, we are using a metaphor that is probably dead, but may still retain some of its heuristic force.1 There are several ways the human mind can understand a phenomenon. One of them is through understanding its cause. We can cope with something if we understand why it happens. Apart from the realm of cognition, the metaphor of the source also applies to legitimacy. If a piece of information has a source, it is not invented, fabricated, or fictitious; therefore it can be legitimately used by somebody who is not the source. Authenticity of information is usually posited outside its entailer. Life writing may be a remarkable exception, but for the authenticity of such...