HARTAIXX2016-V014600

Summary

The video script explores the concept of periodization, dividing history into distinct periods defined by how signs and symbols represent reality. Jean Baudrillard's framework is used to discuss three orders of simulacra: imitation, production, and simulation. The first order sees representations resembling reality, the second order involves mass production and loss of originality, while the third order, simulation, erases the distinction between reality and representation, exemplified by phenomena like reality TV and DNA as code. This progression reflects a shift from a grounded reality to a suspended present with a diminished sense of future.

Takeaways

• 📚 The concept of periodization is essential for understanding history, dividing the past into distinct chunks or periods with unique identities.
• 🔄 Risks of periodization include viewing periods as homogeneous and monolithic, potentially denying the diversity and heterogeneity within them.
• 🎨 Jean Baudrillard's periodization is based on how signs and symbols are used to represent reality, dividing history into three orders of simulacra.
• 🗿 The first order of simulacra, imitation or counterfeit, involves creating representations that mimic reality, such as stucco angels, which are artificial yet resemble real-world entities.
• ⚙️ The second order, production, begins around the Industrial Revolution, characterized by the ability to produce standardized objects and the loss of the original-copy distinction.
• 📸 Examples of the second order include photography and mass-produced commodities, where the focus shifts to monetary value rather than symbolic relevance.
• 🤖 The transition from automatons to robots illustrates the move from analogy to equivalence or replacement, reflecting the shift in human-machine relationships.
• 🌐 The third order, simulation, is characterized by the loss of distinction between representation and reality, as seen in DNA being a code that writes our bodies.
• 📺 Examples of simulation include reality TV and movie bloopers, which blur the lines between actual events and constructed simulations.
• 🔮 In the third order, the past cannot be truly represented, and the future is consumed without the ability to project alternative outcomes, leading to a suspended present.
• 🕰️ The loss of a grounded reality in the third order results in a waning sense of progress and a diminished sense of what is at stake in the future.

Q & A

What is the concept of periodization?

Periodization is the idea of dividing or partitioning the past into distinct chunks or periods, each with its own identity and characteristics, to help make sense of historical events and changes.

What is the risk associated with periodization?

The risk with periodization is the tendency to view each period as homogeneous and monolithic, potentially denying the diversity and heterogeneity that existed within that period.

Why is periodization necessary for history?

Periodization is necessary for history because it provides a framework to understand the differences in historical moments and times, allowing us to make sense of the past rather than seeing it as a random array of individual events.

Who is Jean Baudrillard and what does he contribute to the concept of periodization?

Jean Baudrillard is a French philosopher who contributes to the concept of periodization by defining periods based on how signs and symbols are used to represent reality, introducing the idea of three orders of simulacra.

What are the three orders of simulacra according to Baudrillard?

The three orders of simulacra according to Baudrillard are imitation (or counterfeit), production, and simulation, each representing different ways in which signs are used to represent reality.

How does the first order of simulacra (imitation) differ from the second order (production)?

The first order of simulacra involves representations that refer to a reality and try to look like it, such as stucco angels. The second order involves the production of standardized objects, where the concept of an original is lost, and mass production and reproduction become the norm.

What is an example of the second order of simulacra in architecture?

An example of the second order of simulacra in architecture is the use of standardized building components, leading to repetition, standardization, and a focus on the monetary worth of the commodity rather than its symbolic relevance.

How does the concept of simulation in the third order of simulacra affect our understanding of reality?

In the third order of simulacra, the ability to distinguish between representation and reality disappears. This is exemplified by concepts like DNA, which is a code that writes our bodies, suggesting that our understanding of reality is based on a system of representation rather than a deeper, grounded reality.

What is the impact of the third order of simulacra on our perception of history and the future?

The third order of simulacra affects our perception of history and the future by making the past seem unrecoverable and the future appear as something being consumed without the ability to project alternative futures, leading to a loss of progress and a sense of being stuck in a suspended present.

How does Baudrillard's concept of simulacra relate to modern phenomena like reality TV?

Baudrillard's concept of simulacra relates to modern phenomena like reality TV in that it questions whether such shows are about real situations or are total constructions, simulations of reality that may not have a basis in actual reality.

What is the significance of the transition from automatons to robots in the context of simulacra?

The transition from automatons to robots signifies a shift from a clear distinction between human and mechanical (analogy or likeness) to a relationship of equivalence or even replacement, where robots can perform tasks traditionally done by humans, blurring the lines between reality and representation.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Periodization and the Concept of Simulacra

The first paragraph introduces the concept of periodization as a method to divide history into distinctive chunks, each with its own identity. It acknowledges the risk of viewing these periods as homogeneous entities, while also emphasizing the necessity of such divisions for the study of history. The lecture will utilize the periodization framework by French philosopher Jean Baudrillard, who categorizes historical periods based on how signs and symbols represent reality. Baudrillard's framework is composed of three orders of simulacra, starting with the first order, which is characterized by imitation or counterfeit, where representations aim to resemble reality, exemplified by stucco sculptures. This period extends from the Renaissance to the Industrial Revolution.

05:01

🏭 The Evolution of Simulacra: From Imitation to Simulation

The second paragraph delves into the second and third orders of simulacra as defined by Baudrillard. The second order, termed 'production,' emerges with the Industrial Revolution and is marked by the ability to mass-produce standardized objects, eliminating the concept of an original and a copy. This period sees architecture and commodities standardized, with a shift in value perception towards monetary worth. The distinction between humans and their mechanical counterparts also evolves, with automatons giving way to robots capable of replacing human labor. The paragraph then transitions to the third order, 'simulation,' where the distinction between reality and representation dissolves, as exemplified by DNA being a code that writes our bodies. This order is characterized by a loss of grounded reality, seen in phenomena like reality TV and the inability to project alternative futures, leading to a suspended present and a diminished sense of progress.

Keywords

💡Periodization

Periodization refers to the division of history into distinct, identifiable periods or chunks, each with its own identity and characteristics. In the script, periodization is crucial for understanding historical moments and their differences. It's used to discuss the evolution of art history, from the Renaissance to modernism and postmodernism, and how each period has a distinct style and way of thinking.

💡Simulacrum

The term 'simulacrum', as used by Jean Baudrillard, denotes a representation or copy that has no direct connection to the reality it is supposed to represent. The script discusses three orders of simulacra, each representing a different way in which signs and symbols are used to represent reality, from imitation to simulation.

💡Imitation

Imitation, as the first order of the simulacrum, involves creating representations that resemble reality but are known to be artificial. The script uses the example of a stucco angel to illustrate how imitations assure us of the reality of the world, despite being artificial.

💡Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution marks the transition from the first to the second order of simulacra in the script. It signifies the shift from individual imitations to mass-produced, standardized objects, where the concept of an 'original' becomes obsolete.

💡Production

In the context of the second order of simulacra, production refers to the mass manufacturing of identical objects, such as photographs, Model T Fords, and printed newspapers. The script explains how production leads to the loss of the original-copy distinction and the rise of a monetary system of value.

💡Robot

A robot, as contrasted with an automaton in the script, represents the ability to not only imitate but also replace humans in certain tasks. This shift from analogy to equivalence or replacement is indicative of the second order of simulacra, where machines become integral to the production process.

💡Simulation

Simulation, the third order of simulacra, is characterized by the inability to distinguish between representation and reality. The script uses DNA as an example to illustrate how we now conceptualize our own bodies as a system of representation, losing the grounded reality.

💡Reality TV

Reality TV is mentioned in the script as an example of simulation, where the line between real situations and total constructions is blurred. It questions whether the content is an authentic representation of reality or a fabricated simulation.

💡Blooper

Bloopers, as discussed in the script, are a traditional way of showing mistakes in movies. However, with the advent of animation and simulation, even bloopers can be simulated, further blurring the line between real mistakes and intentional simulations of errors.

💡History

The script discusses how the concept of simulation affects our understanding of history. In a simulated reality, the past cannot be truly recovered, and the future is consumed in a suspended present, leading to a loss of the sense of progress and expectation for the future.

💡Heterogeneity

Heterogeneity refers to the diversity within a period, which the script warns might be overlooked in the process of periodization. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing the variety of styles and ways of thinking within historical periods, rather than viewing them as monolithic.

Highlights

Periodization is the division of the past into distinct chunks with their own identity, like the ancient world, medieval times, Renaissance, etc.

There is a risk in periodization of viewing a period as homogeneous and monolithic, denying its diversity and heterogeneity.

Jean Baudrillard's periodization is defined by how signs and symbols are used to represent reality, with three orders of simulacra.

First order of simulacra (imitation) involves making representations that look like reality, like stucco angels, with a slight difference from the real.

Second order of simulacra (production) begins around the Industrial Revolution, with standardized objects and loss of original/copy distinction.

In the second order, mass-produced commodities like Model T Fords and printed newspapers replace the natural order, with value based on monetary worth.

Difference between automatons (analogous to humans) and robots (able to replace humans) illustrates the shift from first to second order simulacra.

Third order of simulacra (simulation) is characterized by the inability to distinguish between representation and reality, as seen in DNA being a code.

In the third order, the loss of grounded reality leads to a suspended present with no way of projecting alternative futures.

Examples of simulation include reality TV, which blurs the line between real situations and total constructions.

Bloopers in movies illustrate the shift from real mistakes to simulated mistakes, even in animations like Shrek.

Baudrillard's periodization helps us understand how our perception of history and future has changed across different orders of simulacra.

The concept of periodization is essential for doing history, as it provides a framework to make sense of the past rather than seeing it as a random array of events.

The transition from first to second order simulacra reflects the shift from artisanal craftsmanship to industrialized mass production.

The third order of simulacra challenges our understanding of reality, as simulation becomes indistinguishable from the real.

Baudrillard's framework offers insights into the changing nature of representation and the implications for our perception of reality and history.

Transcripts

the idea of periodization is useful here

periodization is a very old idea but

it's a fairly new word it's really just

the idea of dividing or partitioning the

past into chunks we're in two separate

moments that each have their own sort of

different identity we're familiar with

the a the period of the ancient world or

medieval medieval times the Renaissance

is a very you know famous in most art

history the Renaissance is a period the

Baroque may be different from the

Renaissance distinct from the

Renaissance modernism itself occurs at a

certain in art history occurs at a

certain moment in time and maybe even

the postmodern is a period now there's

some risk with this idea of

periodization the risk is that you

understand the period as a sort of

homogeneous monolithic moment based you

know that produces like a single style

or that produces a single way of

thinking so there's a there's a risk in

the notion of periodization of denying

that the period has a diversity and a

heterogeneity but without some notion of

period or end of the differences in

historical moments in historical times

you really can't have history itself

that the past would just seem like a

sort of sort of a random array of of

individual events so you need some

notion of a period in order to do

history itself today in this lecture

we're going to use the periodization of

a French philosopher Jean Baudrillard

now Baudrillard periods in terms of

their date in terms of time are actually

fairly standard he has three periods

that we'll talk about the interest rust

here is that he sees these periods as

being defined by how we use signs and

symbols how how we represent the reality

or the historical reality to ourselves

and to each other

bori are characterizes his periods as

what he calls three orders of the

simulacra or we could just think of

three periods where the sign is used in

different ways the first order is what

he calls imitation or counterfeit and

here the idea is that we can make

representations that refer to a reality

and we try to make those representations

look like that reality it's interesting

that he gives the material of stucco as

an example then when you make an angel

or a unicorn or some imitation even as

there's not a real thing like that in

the world we don't actually see angels

in the world the angels still look like

things we would expect to see in the

world they're made of stucco which is of

course an artificial material and the

idea is that even though they look like

things we might find in the world we

know that they're artificial we know

that they're imitations so it's that

slight difference between you know

seeing you know a real person and seeing

a stucco angel it's that slight

difference that actually in a way

paradoxically assures us that reality is

real and that these are imitations so

that's the first order of the sign or

the first order of the simulacrum the

first order of the simulacrum occurs in

time really from the Renaissance up

until the Industrial Revolution the

second order of the simulacrum is what

he calls production and here the the

beginning of the second order is

sometimes around the Industrial

Revolution when when industrialized

manufacturing becomes possible here it's

the ability to produce standardized

objects to reproduce the same thing over

and over that characterizes how we

represent here the whole notion of an

original goes away or the or the

distinction between an original and a

copy they could think of photography

which is a technique or a technology

that's part of the second order of the

Malaka even though you might have a

single authentic negative there's no

difference but in terms of the

photographs from one photograph to the

next there is no original photograph

maybe in some way the negative still

assures you that it's an imprint of the

real itself but there's no there's no

original there are only copies the

mass-produced commodity of course is the

paradigm for the second order of the

simulacra ready-made cigarettes Model T

Fords printed newspapers all of these

are products of production and

reproduction

of course in architecture architects

start to make buildings with

standardized building components you get

a lot of repetition you get a lot of

standardization and sort of calibration

so architecture itself becomes part of

the order the second order of sign with

production and reproduction there's no

longer any nostalgia for a disappearing

natural order all commodities all all

standardized mass-produced goods are the

same so the value the system of value

here becomes a monetary system how much

is the commodity worth rather than how

useful is something or how or how

relevant symbolically

the stucco angel is it becomes only a

matter of the commodities monetary worth

in the second order the difference in

the first order and the second order can

also be seen in the difference between

an automaton and a robot during the

Renaissance the late Renaissance early

baroque people who used automatons to

sort of imitate humans they were often

made by clock makers for example they

could move they could play chess they

might even be able to write or to type

they had jerky movements they would be

the same size as a human but their

movements wouldn't be smooth they would

be jerky so again it was actually the

difference between the automaton and the

human that assured us that in a way that

we were human and we weren't mechanical

compare the automaton to a robot a robot

starts to be able not just to be like a

human not not just to be a metaphor or

and an analog of the human but it

actually is able to begin to replace the

human a robots on an assembly line

replace workers so here the relationship

between the human and the robot is on

the order of equivalence or even

replacement as opposed to analogy or

likeness then Baudrillard says that the

reigning order in our current lives the

third order of the simulacra is what he

calls simulation what happens in

simulation is that the very ability to

distinguish between the representation

and the real goes away one of the best

examples I think we could think of of

the actual loss of a sense of a grounded

reality comes in the model of DNA let's

say that biologically our very

foundation our our reality at a

molecular level has to do with the DNA

and yet bode R reminds us DNA is a kind

of writing DNA is a code so DNA in

effect writes our bodies so so there's

no there's no way of conceptualizing a

reality that's deeper than that

we can only conceptualize a system of

representation that is the basis for our

own bodies this is the third order of

the simulacra when we lose the ability

to distinguish the real from the

simulation we can see the effects of

simulation in a lot of everyday examples

think of reality TV is this television

about a real situation or is it a total

construction the total simulation of a

reality that has no basis in in reality

another example that I like is you know

at the ends of movies in old movies they

used to put bloopers they used to put

out takes and then of course when movies

became animations like Shrek then the

bloopers themselves are animated so the

very mistakes you know the real mistakes

that were taken out or actually

simulations of mistakes simulation even

effects how we understand history in

simulation the past cannot be recovered

we're not able to

represent a true past but at the same

time then the future is just being

consumed with there's no way of

projecting alternative futures we we

sort of have to live in a suspended

present so then our sense of heightened

expectation about the future our sense

of of moving forward having progress

starts to go away there's a waning of

effect there's a loss of the sense of

what is at stake in the future