The Self, Simulation and Simulacra

SIMULACRUM MEANS SIMILARITY

Plato's view of Simulacra entails two stages.
The first stage is an exact replica of the original copy. A faithful reproduction

The second stage known as the intentionally distorted stage includes making a copy of the original but deliberately distorting it to give the impression that it is an exact copy of the original. 

Jean Baudrillard, the founder of the idea of hyper-reality proposed for stages of Simulacra.

The first stage, like Plato's view is a truthful and accurate representation of a reality. An exact copy of the original. This is known as the basic reflection of reality.

The second stage known as perversion of reality, is an untrue copy which does not reveal the true reality to us more so an obscure reality.

The third stage called the pretence of reality pretends to represent a faithful copy yet does not represent anything close to the original.

Last but not least, the fourth stage has no relationship to reality. This is known as bears no relation in reality stage. It is about pure simulation with no representation of the original object. 

 

Some examples of Simulacra include: 

'Simulation is the imitation of the operation of a real-world process or system over time'(Baudrillard, 1988)

'The simulacrum is never that which conceals the truth—it is the truth which conceals that there is none. The simulacrum is true' (Banks, Carson, Nelson & Nicol, 2001).

Another theory by Jean Baudrillard that ties in with the idea of simulacra, is hyper-reality. The post-modern concept of hyper-reality has consumed our lives and continues to pay a major role throughout society. So what is hyper-reality? 

Hyper-reality is the inability to recognise what is real and what is a simulation/fantasy (Tiffin & Nobuyushi, 2005). Examples of these inabilities to distinguish reality from simulation are evident in media culture, language and urbanisation (Felluga, 2011).

We have discussed simulation and simulacra, now how does the self fit into this? Well have you ever created an avatar in a virtual world or a character in a video game? If you answered yes, then you are one of the majority who has been lost in the world of simulation, simulacra and hyper-reality. 

An avatar, is meant to be a more attractive representation of ourselves. People feel more comfortable saying and doing things online as an avatar then doing these things in real life.

 It is like an avatar is a security blanket. In video games, creating a character to represent yourself and hold characteristics and traits that you think you have or you wish you had is a false representation of reality. Do we lose ourselves in the virtual world?

I want to know, if you have ever created an avatar or sim of yourself and if so, what did you call it and did you represent yourself 100% truthfully or did you alter the truth to become a more attractive (physically and mentally) version of yourself. Did you find that creating an avatar and communicating online allowed you more freedom in things you would not normally say or do?

Signing out for now, see you next week, KM!

References

Baudrillard, Jean (1988). Selected writings. Cambridge, UK: Polity.

Banks, J. Carson, B. Nelson, D. Nicol (2001). Discrete-Event System Simulation. Prentice Hall

Felluga, D 2011b, 'Modules on Baudrillard: On simulation', viewed 29^th January 2014, <http://www.cla.purdue.edu/english/theory/postmodernism/modules/baudrillardsimulation.html>.

Simulacrum - http://dictionary.reference.com/wordoftheday/archive/2003/05/01.html

Tiffin, John; Nobuyoshi Terashima (2005). "Paradigm for the third millennium". Hyperreality: