In Plato's philosophy, simulacra are copies of copies, further removed from the true reality of the Forms, representing a degraded form of image. Conversely, a modern interpretation, largely influenced by thinkers like Gilles Deleuze, sees simulacra as images without an original, where simulation becomes more "real" than reality itself, sometimes defined by what they are rather than what they are not.
Plato's view of simulacra
Theory of Forms: Plato believed the physical world is an imperfect representation of ideal, eternal Forms.
Copies vs. Simulacra:
Copies (Icons): Are imperfect but still grounded in and resemble a true Form. They are well-founded images.
Simulacra (Phantasmata): Are copies of copies, making them "bad copies" or "false pretenders" that have no resemblance to the original Idea or Form. They are the furthest from truth.
Allegory of the Cave: The prisoners' shadows on the cave wall are a classic example of simulacra. They mistake the shadows for reality, as the shadows are just a copy of the physical objects being carried behind them, which are themselves only copies of the Forms.
Modern interpretation of simulacra
Gilles Deleuze: Deleuze inverted Platonism by giving the simulacrum its own affirmative concept. He distinguished it from the Platonic "copy," seeing it as an image that lacks an original altogether, rather than just being a bad copy.
"More real than real": In this view, the simulacrum isn't just a pale imitation but can become more real than reality itself. Think of a highly realistic theme park or a virtual reality simulation where the simulation is the measure of the "real" experience.
No original: The simulacrum is an image that enters a world of its own, separate from any original referent.