This study deals with one of the topical problem of contemporary philosophy - the problem of reality in post-modern culture, as it is represented in terms of „simulacrum“, and „hiperreality“, in philosophy of Jean Baudrillard. In contemporary culture, the opposition between reality and illusion has lost its significance, since because of the dominance of simulacra, there are no criteria left of objective reality. This is why the term „hiperreality“, proposed by Baudrillard, becomes important as used for construction of the new model of reality, which does not need objective justification.

In the first part of the thesis, Plato and Friedrich Nietzsche‘s conceptions of reality are surveyed. These two philosophers are chosen as representing different ontological conceptions, both relevant to contemporary consideration of reality. While Plato’s reality is the ideal non-empirical word, the object of true knowledge, for Nietzsche reality is truly conceived in the work of art. Also the term „simulacrum“, introduced into post-modern philosophy by Gilles Deleuze, makes its appearance.

The second part of the thesis analyses the main notion of „simulacrum“ in philosophy of Jean Baudrillard. In the third part, the status of history and person in the non-referential reality is analysed. History has been always considered an objective science. Today history needs objective justification once again. Finally, in the fourth part of the thesis, an attempt is made to explain the terms of „hiperreality“, „virtuality“, and „media“, and how our nowadays technologies constitute the new situation of reality.

The research shows the importance of simulation for the culture of postmodernity. The images which do not represents anything are reproduced with the help of simulacra. And that is why reality becomes the pseudo-reality.

Raktažodžiai: reality, simulacrum, hiperreality, virtuality, illusion