Abstract: Baudrillard's theory of consumer society points out the general trend of the transformation of contemporary capitalism from "productive society" to "consumer society". As far as the historical orientation of the theory of consumer society is concerned, Baudrillard has made a useful supplement to Marx's theoretical path, turning from the criticism of "commodity fetishism"to the criticism of "symbol fetishism", which is the result of the factors of the times. This is not only a continuation in terms of political economy criticism, but also a further deepening of self-reflection in terms of human existence. This paper clarifies the existential significance of the concept of "consumption" and the hypothesis of "abundance", and shows that the weaving of "network of symbols" is the major means of controlling "consumption" as a new form of capital logic. Because the creation of symbolic meaning is also a masterpiece of popular culture, this paper further points out that the criticism of consumer society is also a cultural criticism, so as to warn people against the consumption myths woven by capital logic and to examine popular culture consciously with a reflective and critical attitude.

Key words: Baudrillard, consumer society, symbol network, capital logic, cultural criticism