Simulacra and Simulation (1981) by French philosopher and social critic Jean Baudrillard is a foundational text of postmodernism. It argues that in the postmodern age, people live in a hyperreality in which their experiences are no longer rooted in reality; instead, there are only simulations (or copies) and simulacra (copies with no connection to an original). Baudrillard uses film, theme parks, architecture, and science to show the pervasiveness of these hyperrealities. He presents a nihilistic view of the world, saying that all truth, value, and meaning have been absorbed into the simulation. He says that this simulation is already present and that people have a responsibility to pursue continued analysis to challenge hyperreality.

Following the publication of Simulacra and Simulation, Baudrillard became an intellectual celebrity across the world. Alongside work by other French postmodernist thinkers such as Michel Foucault (Madness and Civilization, The History of Sexuality), Jacques Derrida (Of Grammatology), and Jacques Lacan, Baudrillard’s ideas were foundational to the postmodernist movement. He presented a new way of looking at the world which stood in contrast to the grand narratives of the modernist movement.

This guide utilizes the English translation by Sheila Faria Glaser, published by University of Michigan Press in 1994.

Summary

Baudrillard begins by outlining his theory of simulacra, which is the repeated representation of an object or idea to the point of meaninglessness. He argues that in the contemporary age, people exist in a simulation where they experience abstraction as reality. He says that hyperrealities are spaces where simulacra feel more authentic than reality itself, and he uses theme parks to illustrate this idea. Baudrillard argues that all human existence has devolved into a hyperreality and that there is no longer any distinction between a theme park and everyday life. To make sense of their hyperrealities, people mythologize their histories and cling to narratives that provide meaning to their abstracted lived experiences.

This dependence on mythologies and narratives becomes especially evident in the hyperrealities of film and television. Baudrillard argues that history is reduced to grand narratives, especially in film. These narratives, or mythologies, become more real to people than the historical events themselves. People need mythologies because they easily forget the past. However, these narratives are often poor replacements for the original events, presenting a skewed and limited version that usually advances a politically motivated ideal. Baudrillard demonstrates how cinematic media both produces and reflects sociological mythologies. He also asserts that simulacra in film often precede reality, creating a framework in which reality reflects the simulacra.

Hyperrealities are not only confined to film and TV; they also manifest in other spaces. Baudrillard explores this by examining the architecture of The Centre Pompidou in Paris, arguing that the building is a physical symbol of hypermarkets and the hyperculture they represent. Just as film and TV distort history, hypermarkets oversaturate individuals with choices and information, eroding the meaning of authentic experiences. In a hyperreality, advertising replaces other artforms, losing itself in a meaningless circle of self-reference.

Baudrillard then turns his attention to several topics that were the subject of public attention when Simulacra and Simulation was published: cloning, holograms, and J.C. Ballard’s novel Crash. Baudrillard uses these topics to flesh out his argument that hyperreality is an all-consuming and distorting force. Both clones and holograms offer simplified versions of the original that are fractured from meaning or depth. In a hyperreality, humans pursue meaning in extreme ways, desperate to recover what is lost in simulation. Baudrillard uses Crash to show how violence expands within hyperrealities while simultaneously separating itself from sensitization.

Next, he explores the impact of hyperreality on the narratives that shape human understanding. Baudrillard explains that humans have always used the imaginary world to help discover new possibilities, but this type of innovation is lost in a simulation. However, Baudrillard claims that simulations can never fully absorb all aspects of reality. Something always escapes the simulation, reminding people that what they are experiencing is a falsity.

Looking toward the future, Baudrillard predicts that knowledge and academia will also become meaningless, lost in the saturation of diplomas and the politicization of education. Everything will lose its value outside of its role within hyperculture and hypermarkets. Baudrillard advocates for nihilism while maintaining the importance of pushing back against the superficiality of simulation. He argues that hyperrealities will cause the inevitable ending of humankind, but he leaves room for the idea of something immortal that lies beyond the hyperrealities.