符号之境中的消费社会——读鲍德里亚的《消费社会》

The Consumer Society in the Context of Signs——A Reading of Baudrillard's The Consumer Society

消费社会理论是鲍德里亚早期思想的重要组成部分,理论的产生是以社会从生产社会向以符号为中介的消费社会的结构性转变为基础的。鲍德里亚揭示了消费社会的双重变化:即物品的使用价值的没落和符号价值的凸显;作为消费主体的人的主体性的丧失和异化。同时,鲍德里亚探讨了当今以广告为代表的技术媒介在消费社会中的支配作用及其与符号逻辑的共谋性。消费社会理论的现实语境决定其理论具有极其重要的当代价值,其理论对于正确认识、评价渗透于当今社会各个方面的媒介技术也有一定的启示意义。

Consumer Society Theory is an important component of Baudrillard＇s early theoretical thoughts, whose origination is based on the society＇s structural transformation from the production society to consumer society with signs as media. Baudrillard points out the double changes in consumer society, i.e. the decline of commodities＂ use value and the rise of their sign value on the one hand, and the loss and alienation of subjectivity for human beings as consumption subjects. Meanwhile, Baudrillard looks into the domination of technological media as represented by advertisement, and its conspiracy with the sign logic. The realistic context of consumer society theory gives it great contemporary significance, enlightening our proper understanding and evaluation of media technology permeated all aspects of today＇s society.