The Phenomenon of Mass Narcissism in the Jean Baudrillard’s Social Philosophy

Abstract

Currently, it can be seen that the theory of mass narcissism is gaining popularity in various scientific circles. If narcissism was previously a part of psychoanalytic theory, then over time this concept became the subject of research by some philosophers. One of these researchers was Jean Baudrillard. This philosopher not only made up his own idea of modern society, but also demonstrated the fact that narcissism plays a rather significant role in it because many human desires and drives strongly resemble what is commonly considered narcissism. This article attempts to show exactly how, from the point of view of the French thinker, the phenomenon of mass narcissism manifests itself in modern society. In addition, the difference between the classical understanding of narcissism in psychoanalytic theory and its more modern interpretation is considered. Such an approach can demonstrate how Baudrillard himself understands the phenomenon of mass narcissism, what exactly he puts into this concept and why, despite some similarities with classical psychoanalytic theories, it is not necessary to identify his idea of narcissism with the psychoanalytic understanding of this phenomenon. Starting from the philosopher’s ideas about the structure of modern society (about the influence of information technology on personality and the consequences that the growing philosophy of consumption brings for a person), it is possible to understand quite clearly why Baudrillard turned to this phenomenon and decided to use it to describe a modern person.