Simulation of “symbolic” in Baudrillard’s concept of mass media

We have revealed the basis of the difference between the phenomena denoted by Baudrillard as “simulation” and “simulacrum”, “symbolic” and “simulacrum”. It is emphasized that Baudrillard’s own critical position on the dominance of simulacra in modern society means that the difference between the concepts of “symbolic” as such and “symbolic violence” has to be taken into account, which is generally poorly understood in literature. The emphasis is on the possibility of structural representation of the main properties of the fourth (fractal) order simulacrum allowing it to break away from reality (“complete interchangeability of opposites”). We have come to the following conclusions. The basis of simulation of the symbolic by the mass media code is the simulation of the symbol duality by the simulacrum, bringing the neutral-intermediate field between its two sides to the limit. The binary semiotic structure of the mass media code (and simulacrum) is used. The mass media code veils its unifying, formal sign system with such properties of the symbol as visuality, emotionality, etc.