Five Main Concepts In The Work Of Byung-Chul Han

The philosophical work of Byung-Chul Han is very interesting. His concepts are definitely worth analyzing, especially because they allow us to reflect on the lifestyle that people have today.

This South Korean philosopher and author is also an expert on cultural studies and has become one of the most respected voices in modern thinking. His work focuses on the world we live in, including the effects of technology on our lifestyle, the culture of working too much, or the consequences of the globalization of capitalism.

Some of his notable works are The Burnout Society, The Agony of Eros, Topology of Violence and Psychopolitics: Neoliberalism and New Technologies of Power. Some concepts stand out in these books, as they represent the way Byung-Chul Han sees the world.

1. Self-exploitation

Byung-Chul Han and his philosophy reflect how we work today. For Byung-Chul He follows people spiritually absent a societal mandate: to do as much as possible. Some time ago, people did only what they had to do. Now, however, we believe that we must be successful at all costs, and we become anxious when we do not succeed.

The worst thing is that no one is forcing us to do this. Each of us voluntarily surrenders to a regime of labor and consumption.

2. Communication

Byung-Chul Han also stated that relationships have been replaced by connections. People are now communicating through sources of information that are spread all over the world.

He pointed out that real communication no longer exists due to lack of physical presence. Now it’s just an exchange of information. All our senses, except sight, are no longer used as before. And therefore there is poor communication. Also, people are only looking for those who agree with them, those who potentially want to “like” their posts on social media.

3. The garden: One of the main concepts in the work of Byung-Chul Han

Byung-Chul He opposes what the digital world imposes. In his work, the garden concept is a warning to start using our senses more. This South Korean philosopher talks about a “secret garden”, an exclusive place where you can get back in touch with reality, where the digital world does not exist. According to him, keeping in touch with the secret garden is a way to restore what he calls “true beauty”.

4. The other

In our society we devote ourselves to the other , to that which is unknown, to that which is not ours. Everyone tries to be exactly the same. Trendy and “viral” things are obvious manifestations of the desire to belong to a society where everyone thinks the same way.

Byung-Chul He says that the more we think alike, the more we feel the need to be productive. He argues that diversity goes against the goals of neoliberalism. If we lived in a world where only some people used smartphones and others did not, it would be detrimental to the market. But that is not the case. People are passive, so they are either the customer or the manufacturer.

5. Byung-Chul Han about time

Time is another critical element. Byung-Chul He claims that we must change the way we spend time. We just care about working fast and working on insignificant things, about doing things as fast as we can, and letting them disappear as easily as they came into our lives. It is a blow to continuity and long-lasting, valuable things.

For Byung-Chul Han, it is fundamental that we dedicate some time to ourselves. We should take a moment for ourselves to do nothing or to have fun.

Undoubtedly, Byung-Chul’s work is enriching. The best part is that he acts in the way he thinks one should act. All he wants is to strengthen his soul and his freedom.