Are we missing a notion of “simulacrum level 0”? That is, in order to accurately describe the truth, we need some method of synchronizing on a common language. In the beginning of a human society, this can be basic stuff like pointing at objects and making sounds in order to establish new words. But also, I would be inclined to say that more abstract stuff like discussing the purpose for using the words or planning truth-determination-procedures also go in simulacrum level 0. I’d say the entire discussion of simulacrum levels goes within simulacrum level 0.
Or if simulacrum levels aren’t exactly the right term, here’s what I have in mind as levels of communication:
Synchronizing (level 0): establishing and maintaining the meaning of terms for describing the world
Objective (level 1): truthfully describing the world to the best of one’s ability
Manipulative (level 2): saying known false or unfounded things to exploit other’s use of language to control them
Framing (level 3): the norms for maintaining truth no longer succeed, but they are still in operation and punish or reward people, so people try to act in ways that maintain their reputation despite them not tracking truth
Activating (level 4): the norms for maintaining truth are no longer in place, but some systems still rely on the old symbolic language as keywords to perform certain behaviors, so language is still used to interface with these systems
Are we missing a notion of “simulacrum level 0”? That is, in order to accurately describe the truth, we need some method of synchronizing on a common language. In the beginning of a human society, this can be basic stuff like pointing at objects and making sounds in order to establish new words. But also, I would be inclined to say that more abstract stuff like discussing the purpose for using the words or planning truth-determination-procedures also go in simulacrum level 0. I’d say the entire discussion of simulacrum levels goes within simulacrum level 0.
Or if simulacrum levels aren’t exactly the right term, here’s what I have in mind as levels of communication:
Synchronizing (level 0): establishing and maintaining the meaning of terms for describing the world
Objective (level 1): truthfully describing the world to the best of one’s ability
Manipulative (level 2): saying known false or unfounded things to exploit other’s use of language to control them
Framing (level 3): the norms for maintaining truth no longer succeed, but they are still in operation and punish or reward people, so people try to act in ways that maintain their reputation despite them not tracking truth
Activating (level 4): the norms for maintaining truth are no longer in place, but some systems still rely on the old symbolic language as keywords to perform certain behaviors, so language is still used to interface with these systems