Familiar and ambiguous term, originally referring to the realm of things (from the Latin res, realis) or that which concerns them. In recent years, however, this general definition has acquired a new scope. Whereas the 20th century was the age of ideology, the last decades have brought with them a new fondness for reality. It has become a habit to appeal to common sense, to the power of things, to the weight of facts and circumstances. The great doctrines of the past, deemed too abstract, have given way to concrete principles. Thinkers and politicians have settled down, planted their feet on the ground, and learned to see the world as it really is.