Symbolic Exchange and Death (1976) is widely considered to be Jean Baudrillard’s most important work, marking his definitive "postmodern turn" from Marxist critiques of production toward a theory of simulation and the "structural law of value".
In this text, Baudrillard argues that modern society has moved beyond "production" (the making of goods for use) and even "exchange" (the trading of goods for money) into a state of . In this new era, reality is governed by "codes"—abstract systems like fashion, media, and digital data—that no longer refer to anything real. Key Concepts Jean Baudrillard - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Symbolic Exchange and Death