The levels of simulacra

Zvi Mowshowitz explains some interesting models of how truth-telling works, but because he is, er, loquacious, it helps to have shorter versions of his posts to refer to. Which I might write here.

Original: Zvi Mowshowitz on simulacra and subjectivity:

[…]what it means to say “There’s a lion across the river”:[…]

Level 1

There’s a lion across the river.

Level 2

I don’t want to go (or have other people go) across the river.

Level 3

I’m with the popular kids who are too cool to go across the river.

Level 4

A firm stance against trans-river expansionism focus-grouped well with undecided voters in my constituency.

Or alternatively, and isomorphic to the Lion definition, from my previous simulacra post:

“There’s a pandemic headed our way from China” means…

Level 1

“There’s a pandemic headed our way from China.”

Level 2

“I want you to act as if you think there might be a pandemic on our way from China” while hoping to still be interpreted by the listener as meaning “There’s a pandemic headed our way from China.”

Level 3

“I wish to associate with the group that claims there is a pandemic headed our way from China.”

Level 4

“It is advantageous for me to say there is a pandemic headed our way from China.”

We can think of this as a kind of shading from pure discussion of the world-as-it-is to conflict-theoretic manoeuvring, perhaps.

Related:

• the high price of cheap talk
• Constructing myths.
• Is language even symbolic?