The Temptation Of "Symbol": Baudrillard’s Theory About Early Consumerism Culture

With the rapid development of economy and technology，Western society graduallyshifted from manufacturing-oriented society to a consumerism-oriented society.Consumption is becoming a very important role in the social daily life. Consumerismculture also to be taken seriously. Baudrillard named modern society as the “consumerismsociety”，this formed his unique theory of consumerism culture. The article mainlyresearch on its early consumerism culture. In the early days of baudrillard’s theory ofconsumerism society, always runs through the attention and criticism for consumerismculture. Baudrillard introduced symbol to his consumerism theory, use symbolconsumption to reveal the alienation situation in contemporary capitalist society.Andcriticize the contemporary capitalist society from another dimension.This paper is divided into three parts to analyze baudrillard’s ideology for hisconsumerism cultural.The first part mainly analyze on the background of formation of baudrillard’sconsumerism culture. First, this paper introduces the time background for baudrillard, talkabout the influence of the development of the society and the major events; Secondly,analyze the theoretical source of Baudrillard’s thought. Such as Marx’s alienation theory,Lefebvre’s "bureaucratic society controlled consumption", Roland Barthes cultural symboltheory, Debord’s "society of the spectacle" theory.The second part analyze logical components of Baudrillard’s consumerism culture.Firstly an overview of early thoughts of Baudrillard, research the starting point of hisconsumerism culture; Then entered the medlum analysis for his theory, namely to analyzethe characteristics of the consumer society; finally elaborate the ending of Baudrillard’sthought, that’s symbol of political economice.The third part is mainly analyze the contemporary significance of Baudrillard’s theoryof consumerism culture. The theoretical significance, practical significance and limitationsof Baudrillard’s theory.Based on the research of Baudrillard’s theory of consumerism culture, to help us fullyunderstand the theoretical thought from Baudrillard, correctly realize the essence andproblems of the consumer society of the contemporary capitalism,and reveal contemporaryChinese consumer culture development.