This essay applies the conceptual framework of the Postmodern Sociology — most prominently associated with Jean Baudrillard — to re-read the Samoa IGF 2021 Virtual conference. Target audience: researchers, doctoral students, policy analysts, and executives.
Introduction: The Problem
The dominance of simulacra analyzed by Baudrillard reaches an extreme in the digitalized present. Samoa IGF harbors a hyperreal discussion space yet still generates real normative effects — an ambivalent venue.
This essay argues that the multistakeholder process of Samoa IGF becomes intelligible in its specificity only through the concept of Simulacra and the hyperreal, and that the concept itself undergoes transformation under the new material of digital space. Describing this mutual transformation is the task of this essay.
Semiotics of IGF
COVID-19 debated at Virtual in 2021 often circulates more as simulacra in media representation and policy documents than as actual platform events. Related debates in Samoa unfold within this chain of signs.
Each session's agenda-setting can be read as a contemporary restaging of the Jean Baudrillard-type problematic.
The national-level IGF (Samoa IGF) is an attempt to redefine the modern category of the nation-state in the digital era.
Discussion without referent
Jean Baudrillard's concepts are not confined to abstract philosophical discussion; they apply to the concrete agenda items debated at the 2021 conference. We examine that application below.
1. Application to "COVID-19"
Discussion of "COVID-19" can be positioned, from the perspective of Jean Baudrillard's Simulacra and the hyperreal, as a central problematic. In Samoa's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around COVID-19 are particularly at stake.
2. Application to "接続格差"
Discussion of "接続格差" can be positioned, from the perspective of Jean Baudrillard's Simulacra and the hyperreal, as a derivative problematic. In Samoa's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 接続格差 are particularly at stake.
3. Application to "教育"
Discussion of "教育" can be positioned, from the perspective of Jean Baudrillard's Simulacra and the hyperreal, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Samoa's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 教育 are particularly at stake.
4. Application to "国内法整備"
Discussion of "国内法整備" can be positioned, from the perspective of Jean Baudrillard's Simulacra and the hyperreal, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Samoa's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 国内法整備 are particularly at stake.
5. Application to "政府＋民間協働"
Discussion of "政府＋民間協働" can be positioned, from the perspective of Jean Baudrillard's Simulacra and the hyperreal, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Samoa's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 政府＋民間協働 are particularly at stake.
Implications for Executives and Practitioners
The philosophical reflection of this essay is not merely academic. The Jean Baudrillard perspective carries three practical implications for executives operating in Samoa.
First, it raises the reflexive question of how the firm's business model connects to the logic of Simulacra and the hyperreal. Second, in dialogue with regulators and civil society, it suggests dimensions of consensus formation that purely technical arguments cannot reach. Third, it indicates that the long-term ground of business legitimacy lies not so much in technical advantage or market share as in participation in such philosophical-normative debates.
Academic Positioning and Future Research
The argument of this essay attempts to graft a philosophical perspective onto the mainstream political-science and legal approaches to internet governance research. Three future research questions follow.
- Verification of the applicability of Jean Baudrillard's framework to other IGF conferences
- Comparative contrast between Postmodern Sociology and other theoretical traditions
- Exploration of dialogue possibilities with the indigenous intellectual traditions of Samoa
In particular, the third point has the potential to liberate IGF research from West-centric debate and open a more multi-layered discursive space.
Primary Sources
- IGF Secretariat. Annual Reports of Samoa IGF.
- Samoa IGF 2021 Virtual Conference Materials.
- Japan IGF Support Organization. https://japanigf.jp/
- Nakazawa Yuki Blog. https://nkzw.jp/category/igf/
Secondary Sources (Philosophy)
- Works of Jean Baudrillard (representative texts of Postmodern Sociology)
*This piece belongs to the academic essays (philosophy series). The author's views do not necessarily represent those of any institutional affiliation. Feedback and critique are welcome.*
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第1稿投稿 2026年6月7日 9時09分（記事コンテンツアップ）
— 中澤祐樹
