Korean philosopher says: “now one exploits oneself and believes that one is achieving fulfillment”

The Korean philosopher Byung-Chul Han is a well-known critic of today’s society, characterized by hyperconsumerism. During a dissertation he gave at the Center for Contemporary Culture of Barcelona, ​​the thinker reflected on modern culture. According to his ideas, today people exploit themselves under the belief that this is how they will grow.. However, he warns that this is just an illusion.

In this article, Byung-Chul Han’s thinking and the contributions of his criticism will be analyzed in more detail. Is there a need for an awakening in the collective social consciousness? Are people harming themselves without knowing it? These are some of the questions that we will try to answer.

The Korean philosopher Byung-Chul Han and his social criticism

Byung-Chul Han is an essayist and philosopher born in Seoul, South Korea, in 1959.. Currently, she resides in Germany, where she majored in cultural studies at the Berlin University of the Arts. In addition, he also works as a professor at said institution, while writing works of philosophy.

Byung-Chul Han is considered one of the most prominent philosophers of the contemporary age. His essays are critical of capitalism, technology and work, among other aspects. Han is one of the most important thinkers who have spoken out against neoliberalism as a political and economic model.

Neoliberal society and hypertransparency

According to the author, today’s neoliberal society is unaware of the way in which the system oppresses its freedoms. He claims that the modern lifestyle imposes a tendency toward “hypertransparency.” This is a term used to talk about the compulsion to share all types of personal information.. In this way, the supposed objective would be to reduce corruption and have access to the truth.

However, he warns that it is actually a form of coercion of each person’s rights. People need more information to trust each other. This hypervigilance erodes essential human conjugations, such as shame and what is secret or confidential.

In addition to this, the Korean philosopher Byung-Chul Han points out that, in a neoliberal economic system, people are reduced to numbers. The information that is shared voluntarily is used by the capitalist system for human exploitation. People become a fact, a figure, while individual differences and their wealth are lost.

The work society and self-exploitation

Following the previous thread, equality and the rejection of what is different is typical in the capitalist system. What is different can be controlled and exploited for economic purposes, what matters are the numbers and results. Thus, Han explains that today’s society demands excess productivity from the subject..

Without realizing it, people make many commitments that demand a good part of their time and energy. The ultimate goal is to raise production levels so that, ultimately, consumerism in society does not decline. Thus, the individual lives with the idea that, by being more productive, he will be happier: he will earn more money, obtain more recognition, be more appreciated, etc.

For this reason, the Korean philosopher Byung-Chul Han says: “now one exploits oneself and believes that one is realizing oneself.” This would be, in his words, the illusion that the system produces to take advantage of people’s lives.

The thoughts expressed develop in The fatigue society and Psychopolitics: neoliberalism and new techniques of power. He also touched on these topics in an article titled Why is revolution not possible today?

In this text he alluded to the fact that the euphoria of work ends up leading the subject to depression syndrome. burnout. This state of chronic fatigue is incompatible with the idea of ​​a revolution. If people are tired, how can they rebel against the system?

What do the reflections of the Korean philosopher Byung-Chul Han teach us?

Moving on from the political, economic and social implications of Han’s work, there are crucial points about health. Before we talked about the syndrome of burnouta condition that the Korean philosopher Byung-Chul Han cannot stop emphasizing.

Lastovkova et al. (2018) did a study on the syndrome of burnout as an occupational disease in countries of the European Union. A total of 23 countries participated and it was found that in only 9 states the condition could be recognized as an occupational disease. Following this line, in Denmark, Latvia, Portugal, Sweden and France compensation is offered to workers for burnout. But, the authors explain that this has only happened in recent years.

Other conditions associated with overwork are anxiety, depression, unhealthy eating habits, etc. In the long run, employees’ bodies and minds are affected by the high level of labor demand.

To close, beyond the political and economic, the thought of the Korean philosopher Byung-Chul Han invites us to reflect on the current lifestyle. In the same way, criticizes the modern business model that demands so much time and energy that it exhausts the person. Without a doubt, more research is needed on how to implement better production systems that take care of the health of workers.

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