Dalla sfera pubblica razionale alla sfera pubblica emotiva

This article proposes a critical analysis of Habermas’ category of “public sphere”, showing how the public sphere has been historically used as an instrument of domination and not just as a space for rational deliberation. The article further looks into how the public sphere is changing with the irruption of the Internet, proposing the category of emotional public sphere to describe the impact of the Web on the political transformations brought about by the Arab Springs in 2011.