Modern Social Science Research

This paper takes the demise of authenticity in the "face-based society" of the digital age as its main entry point, pointing out that in the era of large-scale models, the "face" has detached itself from its original ethical connotations, losing the life traces inherent in the "face of the other," becoming a "hyperreal symbol" from Baudrillard's perspective. Behind the seemingly "freedom" pursued by the subject lies a self-exploitation within a merit-based society, constructing identity through Lacan's "desire for the other." This paper attempts to analyze and reflect on the power relations and causes behind the face-based society from a psychological and spiritual perspective. Simultaneously, it uses the allegory of the cave in Plato's *Republic* to question the enlightenment of human subjectivity in the "digital cave." This is not merely a critique of technology, but a pursuit of authenticity through reflection, rather than abandoning it.

Face-based society; Hyperrealism; Merit-based society; Digital cave