The idea of posterity refers to the future.
Posterity is a term that derives from the Latin word posterĭtas . It can be about the future time, posthumous fame or the group of people who will live after a certain moment or a certain individual.
For example: “When I saw the sunken cruise ship, I didn't hesitate and decided to take a photograph for posterity,” “Although now I feel misunderstood, I know that my works will remain for posterity,” “The Peruvian striker scored a goal that will pass.” to posterity for its beauty.”
What is posterity
Posterity, therefore, refers to something that is later than the present , since it has not yet arrived. It is common that, when a person takes a photograph, they intend to capture a moment for posterity: that is, the subject will seek that the image allows them to relive that moment of the present in the future.
The idea of posterity is also associated with something that those who live in the present think will continue to be remembered in the future . Suppose that a musician has just given a massive concert that lasted more than four hours and in which all the people accompanied the artist with euphoria. Many will think that this memorable concert will go down in history and go down in posterity. Ten years after the event, attendees will continue to remember it.
That which remains for posterity manages to transcend time.
a testimony
In that sense, we would have to say that there is another unique action that has the clear objective of being a milestone for posterity . Specifically, we are referring to the fact that when a building begins to be constructed, they usually resort to excavating a small hole in the ground where, in a box, several newspapers of the day are placed as well as some objects that are significant at that moment.
In this way, it is intended that in the distant future when work is done in the area to remodel the buildings, to tear them down or even to undertake new ones, the past of the originals can be discovered.
Fame and posterity
On a more philosophical or symbolic level, it can be said that famous people and their works remain alive in posterity, even long after their physical disappearance. This is demonstrated when today we remember personalities who lived hundreds or thousands of years ago.
In reference to posthumous fame , we have to say that there are many personalities who did not enjoy success in life until after they died. Thus, it can be said that they worked for posterity, to be remembered as illustrious figures. This would be the case, for example, of Vincent Van Gogh , the now legendary Dutch painter who was precisely years after his death when he managed to have his work described as masterful.
a play
Within the field of art, we would have to highlight the existence of a creation that uses the term that concerns us now in its title. This is the play “The posterity of rats” by Federico Roca .
Halfway between drama and comedy is the one, released in 2009 , which narrates the life, ideas, adventures, passions and fears of a character, an artist who seems to be about to die.