Baudrillard — Reality Assessment

Simulacrum level? Real or theater? Symbolic collapse?

Jean Baudrillard’s framework evaluates events on the four orders of simulacra — from faithful representation to pure simulation with no relation to reality.

The Four Orders of Simulacra

1. Level 1 — Faithful copy. The image reflects a basic reality.
2. Level 2 — Unfaithful copy. The image masks and perverts a basic reality.
3. Level 3 — Masks absence. The image masks the absence of a basic reality.
4. Level 4 — Pure simulacrum. The image bears no relation to any reality whatsoever.