The era of postmodernism in literature was marked by the emergence of new terms and concepts. One of the key was the simulacrum, the concept of which was developed by such thinkers as Georges Bataille, Jean Baudrillard, Gilles Deleuze. This concept is one of the key in postmodern theory.
Definition
If you answer the question "What is a simulacrum?" in simple words, it is a copy of something that does not have the original. Also, this concept can be characterized as a sign that does not have a designated object. Explaining the concept of simulacra in Russian, it is often said that it is "a likeness of likeness" or a "copy of a copy." This concept itself appeared a long time ago - even in antiquity. Over time, many philosophers turned to him, changing or adding to its meaning.
History of the term: antiquity
This concept was introduced by the ancient Greek philosopher Plato. In his understanding, a simulacrum simply meant an image or reproduction: a picture, drawing, retelling.
Lucretius also used the term, with this word he translated the concept of eicon (similarity, mapping), introduced by Epicurus. For these two thinkers, this is an imperceptible element that emanates from the body. Lucretius believed that there are three kinds of simulacra: appearing from depth to surface, coming from the surface and visible only in the light, fantasies created by visions.
Middle Ages
In the theological writings of this era it is said that man - God's image and likeness - as a result of the fall, becomes only a way, in fact a simulacrum. Icons were also perceived as images of God, however, there was a polemic on this issue: someone perceived such an attitude to the icon as idolatry (Eusebius of Caesarea), and someone defended the icon painting (John of Damascus).
New time
The philosophical thought of this era was aimed at the knowledge of reality and at getting rid of everything that interfered with this knowledge. According to Francis Bacon, such an obstacle was the so-called idols, which a person either created himself or assimilated (for example, theater, kind, city). An idol is a phantom, a mistake of the mind.
Thomas Hobbes connects them with the work of the imagination and with dreams. In modern times, the doctrine of images and idols was also developed by such thought figures as H. Wolf, A. Baumgarten.
The famous New Age philosopher Immanuel Kant also had his own position. He denied fiction, not confirmed by experience, but at the same time recognized the significant role of imagination in the work of the mind.
The era of postmodernism
In France, philosophers Alexander Kozhev, Gilles Deleuze, Pierre Klossovsky, Georges Bataille also actively developed the concept of a simulacrum. In the interpretation of Bataille, this is the result of the display in a work of art, the word "mystical", sovereign life experience.
Deleuze sought to overthrow the theory of Plato, in which, he believed, the simulacrum is simply an erroneous model. A simulacrum, in the understanding of Deleuze, is an unsuccessful copy, giving rise to the illusion of similarity. It contradicts the image and is identified with elements of an extraneous nature. The philosopher called this phenomenon "the triumph of a false challenger." A simulacrum itself can produce its own copies and lead to a mimicry of reality, creating hyperreality.
Philosophers of postmodernism turned to this term to show that art and creativity are the creation of images that express a person’s mental state, which is far from being similar to reality.
A new meaning was given to the term by Jean Baudrillard, who also applied it to social reality.
What is Baudrillard simulacrum?
The philosopher believed that this term can be called a sociocultural phenomenon, which becomes ambiguous and non-genuine. The philosopher transfers the definition from the categories of ontological and semiotic to real reality. He tried to explain the simulacrum with the result of the simulation process - the appearance of a hyper-real phenomenon with the assistance of real models that do not have “their own sources and reality”. Its property is the ability to hide the lack of reality: for example, the state is a simulacrum of power, and the opposition is a protest.
Similarities and differences in the definition of Deleuze and Baudrillard
Both thinkers believed that the modern world is full of simulacra, which prevents us from seeing reality. Although philosophers relied on the term that Plato introduced, they advocated the so-called "overthrow of Platonism." Both of them also noted the seriality of reproduction of simulacra.
The fundamental difference in the understanding of what a simulacrum was for these two philosophers was that for Deleuze it was an exclusively theoretical concept, while Baudrillard saw the practical application of the term in the sociocultural life of society. The philosophers also have different meanings of the concepts of “imitation” and “simulation”: for Deleuze, these are fundamentally opposite concepts, and Baudrillard connects them, calling imitation the first stage of simulation. Baudrillard also sees the development of simulacra, highlighting three stages depending on the historical era. For another philosopher, the simulacrum is static. Another fundamental difference in the relation of the simulacrum to the truth: in Deleuze, he denies it, in Baudrillard it replaces it. As for the movement of the simulacrum, opinions differ too: Baudrillard believes that the simulacrum moves and develops linearly in history, Deleuze - that it is cyclical, always returns to the starting point of development.
Four stages of Baudrillard image development
Simulation, according to the philosopher, is the final stage in the evolution of the image. In total, Baudrillard distinguishes four stages:
- Basic copy of reality. This may include, for example, photography or video recording.
- Distortion and change of reality, for example, a resume of a job seeker.
- Faking reality and hiding its absence. A symbol that hides the absence of what it symbolizes.
- Termination of all ties with reality. Transition of a sign from the category of meaning to the category of simulation, appeal to the simulacrum. If at the previous stage its function is to hide the lack of reality, then now this is not necessary. The sign does not hide the absence of the original.
Three orders of Baudrillard simulacra
Each era had its own type of copy. They changed in accordance with a change in the law of values.
- Fake is a type of simulacrum that existed from the beginning of the Renaissance to the industrial Revolution.
- Production is the predominant species during the industrial era.
- Simulation is the main form of modern reality.
The first type of simulacrum depends on the natural laws of value, the second on market value, the third on the structural laws of value.
"There was no war in the gulf"
This work is a collection of three small essays by Jean Baudrillard, which very clearly illustrate his understanding of the concept of simulacrum. In the headings of the work, the philosopher refers to the play "There was no Trojan War" by Jean Giraud ("There will be no war in the Gulf", "Is there really a war in the Gulf", "There was no war in the Gulf").
The author refers to the Gulf War. He claims that this event was not a war, as well-armed American troops hardly attacked Iran. Almost nothing is known about the victims from the warring America. People learned about the fighting from the media, which did not make it clear which events happened in reality, and which were distorted, exaggerated, stylized.
The main idea of this collection is to show people how modern media replace reality. The ability to talk about an incident in real time makes the story about it more significant and important than the event itself.
