A specific analogy that Baudrillard uses is a fable derived from the work of Jorge Luis Borges called "On Exactitude in Science". In it, a great Empire created a map that was so detailed it was as large as the Empire itself. The actual map grew and decayed as the Empire itself conquered or lost territory. When the Empire crumbled, all that was left was the map. In Baudrillard's rendition, it is the map that we are living in, the simulation of reality, and it is reality that is crumbling away from disuse.
The New French were right, read them! Read them again! Maybe because they in France go through the stage of disappearence for a long time already. Maybe because they turned Europe into a museum? Maybe they can see America from the distance? Maybe because they know that they are dead...
Aristotle wrote about mimesis. Our "artifial" life is the imitation of our stupid fantacies. Yeah, now we can do it!
Disappearance of the Real?
Paradise: Ideology of Good Life. Good life is not the same as life. Life has to undergo some alternations to become "good." "Good" isn't an adjective but the essence of the formula. Good is more important than life. Simulacra is GOOD!
There are some attributes of life, which are not "good."
Pain, death, unevenness.... Life is too "real"! If we make it
"soft" reality (or software), if we can program the real (good
only), we can eliminate the "hard" aspects.... soften them.
What do we mean by "good"? Nietzsche's revolt against the
morals was provoked by the total moralization of the real. Real
became equal with good. Good is defined by being good for many,
the majority (humankind). For all. Is hot water good for us? (We
passed the stage of "running water.")
Oh, yes, the tyranny of the nice! "beauty will save the
world." Dostoevsky meant "nice".... living?
Paradise is the answer: an individual has surrendered powers
to human race. Direct rule, instead of representation. Did we, angels, know it firsthand? The last shall be first!
Only secret could be provide you with the real things, hard
to obtain -- like culture. You want your powers -- learn.
Paradise was for use, not knowledge. Sounds familiar.
Accidents are a must: paradise turns into hell for
educational purposes.
Birth: existence before essence (existentionalism, marxism). Soul: essence before existence (Plato's ideas).
NB
The new directory and its pages are not ready, I am working on it... because the crazy media is working on me!
Sight, 6 Senses, oil on canvas
I do not understand why do we have to come with the moral judgements about any phenomena of the second nature (man-made)? We do not see the laws of the first nature as good and bad. Is gravity good? Why should it be different for atomic energy? It could be good and bad, light sun or night. Why must simulacra be negative? I guess, we simply over-reacting. Our powers are too new for us -- and we are afraid of ourselves...
