Fiction for good: the fictional person, artistic deception vs lying as betrayal

Abstract

After a quick illustration of Augustine’s invention of the doctrine concerning “lie”, the paper focuses
on another medieval discovery, mainly dating back to 12th century Canon Law: the notion of persona
ficta. Such concept, the roots of which go back to Roman Law, allows an innovative conceptualisation
of religious and political institutions such as the church, the university, or the state.

Keywords: Fictio iuris, person, Canon Law, Augustine of Hippo, lie, Ernst Kantorowicz.