Simulations

by Jean Baudrillard

Baudrillard's bewildering thesis, a bold extrapolation on Ferdinand de Saussure's general theory of general linguistics, is in fact a clinical vision of contemporary consumer societies where signs don't refer anymore to anything except themselves. They all are generated by the matrix.Simulations never existed as a book before it was "translated" into English. Actually it came from two different bookCovers written at different times by Jean Baudrillard. The first part of Simulations, and most provocative because it made a fiction of theory, was "The Procession of Simulacra." It had first been published in Simulacre et Simulations (1981). The second part, written much earlier and in a more academic mode, came from L'Echange Symbolique et la Mort (1977). It was a half-earnest, half-parodical attempt to "historicize" his own conceit by providing it with some kind of genealogy of the three orders of the Counterfeit attached to the classical period; Production for the industrial era; and Simulation, controlled by the code. It was Baudrillard's version of Foucault's Order of Things and his ironical commentary of the history of truth. The book opens on a quote from Ecclesiastes asserting flatly that "the simulacrum is true." It was certainly true in Baudrillard's book, but otherwise apocryphal.One of the most influential essays of the 20th century, Simulations was put together in 1983 in order to be published as the first little black book of Semiotext(e)'s new Foreign Agents Series. Baudrillard's bewildering thesis, a bold extrapolation on Ferdinand de Saussure's general theory of general linguistics, was in fact a clinical vision of contemporary consumer societies where signs don't refer anymore to anything except themselves. They all are generated by the matrix.In effect Baudrillard's essay (it quickly became a must to read both in the art world and in academe) was upholding the only reality there was in a world that keeps hiding the fact that it has none. Simulacrum is its own pure simulacrum and the simulacrum is true. In his celebrated analysis of Disneyland, Baudrillard demonstrates that its childish imaginary is neither true nor false, it is there to make us believe that the rest of America is real, when in fact America is a Disneyland. It is of the order of the hyper-real and of simulation. Few people at the time realized that Baudrillard's simulacrum itself wasn't a thing, but a "deterrence machine," just like Disneyland, meant to reveal the fact that the real is no longer real and illusion no longer possible. But the more impossible the illusion of reality becomes, the more impossible it is to separate true from false and the real from its artificial resurrection, the more panic-stricken the production of the real is.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Theory, Politics

102 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 5, 2025

About the author

Jean Baudrillard was a French sociologist, philosopher and poet, with interest in cultural studies. He is best known for his analyses of media, contemporary culture, and technological communication, as well as his formulation of concepts such as hyperreality. Baudrillard wrote about diverse subjects, including consumerism, critique of economy, social history, aesthetics, Western foreign policy, and popular culture. Among his most well-known works are Seduction (1978), Simulacra and Simulation (1981), America (1986), and The Gulf War Did Not Take Place (1991). His work is frequently associated with postmodernism and specifically post-structuralism. Nevertheless, Baudrillard had also opposed post-structuralism, and had distanced himself from postmodernism.

Reviews

[Virginia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting little text, and the copy I read has had a rough life - it looks like fake blood is on the cover, and two pages fell out while I was reading it. Anyway, it's surprisingly clearly written, considering when Baudrillard wrote it, and a lot of the ideas in it are very simple and intuitive. I give it four stars because it seems like he's writing his way into ideas rather than expressing full thoughts - that's where later texts, especially S&S, come in. I'm glad I read "The Conspiracy of Art" before this, because it's neat to see just how ludicrous the response to it was, given that the same general idea is presented here. Even his idea of transaesthetics comes in here, in a rough and broad form. Overall, I recommend this to people who want a quick and easy intro to Baudrillard, and to anyone who wants to trace many of his most significant ideas to their simpler roots.

[Nicoleta Faina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jean Baudrillard analyses the situations of hyper-reality and of simulation. Worth reading!
His essay about Disneyland demonstrates that its childish imaginary is neither true or false, it is there to make us believe that the rest of America is real, when in fact America is a Disneyland.

[My Little Forest · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the record, Disneyland is fake but our real world is faker.
Ecclesiastes

*wink wink*

[cookie · Rating 5 out of 5]

BORN TO SIGN
WORLD IS A SIMULACRA
鬼神 Sublimate Em All 1983
I am unreal man
410,757,864,530 FAKE COPS

[Bob Woodley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book consists of 2 essays, which I guess were the basis for more fleshed out works later. So we should excuse some of the gaps and leaps I suppose. Certainly there are many insights from a lively mind.

I. The Precession of Simulacra
A dizzy, sloppy tour of his notion of the hyper-real and simulation. Virtuosic flourishes interspersed with unclear asides. I'm sure it all seemed like good fun at the time, but in our current era of 'fake news' and corrupt media players, maybe we shouldn't just all chuckle at the relativity of the hyper-real but instead work a little harder at discerning fact from fiction.

II. The Orders of Simulacra.
Some notes:
- Counterfeit->Robot->Model
- "The code", I presume he means computer code. Extensive, simplistic analogy with DNA.
- Critique of Science/writings of Monod.
- Testing/Referendums/Samples/Walter Benjamin on Film and Camera
- Polls/Politics
- "Duopoly is the final stage of monopoly".
- The Hyper-real

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

yup.
I'm for it.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most relevant work done by a philosopher - with Rick Roderick being the exception.

[Madeleine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bible.

The End of the Panopticon >

[David Mcnicholas · Rating 5 out of 5]

fuck if i know what it means

[Sean McGuckian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Used partly as inspiration for the movie "The Matrix" this analysis of media, technology, postmodern society, and "political economy" is even more relevant today than when he wrote this in 1980s. I will be (re)reading more Baudrillard, as the future unfolds.