Tuesday, April 16, 2013

JEAN BAUDRILLARD'S MAP OF A DISAPPEARED REALITY


I love Baudrillard’s notion of “map.” Empire or theology crumbles, map remains. I imagine nostalgia, denial. 
Other side: Imagine a war map (precession of the simulacra), you end up with Iraq, Afghanistan.
Jean Braudrillard’s main notion here is “simulacra” -- Signs and symbols construct a perceived reality that ever changes or signifies only itself, cultural constructs become the reality, the reality itself disappears.
-First stage: The faithful copy -- it’s believed to show the real - “The Sacramental Order”
-Second stage: Hmm ... maybe not a faithful copy? Use it anyway. Hints the existence of obscured reality - “Order of Maleficence”
-Third stage: Masks the absence of reality, pretends to be faithful copy - “Order of Sorcery.”
-Fourth stage: Pure simulation/simulacra -- has no relationship to reality. Signs reflect other signs, they don’t have to reflect reality, the signs are accepted as reality - consumers lives, for example, are mainly artificial - “Order of Total Equivalency.”
Thanks to Wiki for refreshing this.
I think I’ve got it right.

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