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Seoul, 1959

Byung-Chul Han

Byung-Chul Han (Seoul, 1959) is a South Korean-born philosopher and essayist who writes in German: he studied metallurgy in Korea, arrived in Germany at 22 and trained there in philosophy, German literature and theology, later teaching at the Berlin University of the Arts. His essays, usually short, critique neoliberal capitalism, the pressure to perform, the obsession with transparency and the effect of digital technology on everyday life. His best-known book is The Burnout Society (2010).

Where to start with Byung-Chul Han

Their books on Pecia, in the order we'd read them.

  1. La sociedad del cansancioThe starting point: his best-known book, where he sets out the idea of an achievement society that exploits itself.
  2. La agonía del Erosabout 2 hoursIt extends the ideas of The Burnout Society into the territory of love and desire.
  3. En el enjambreIt turns to digital communication and introduces the idea of psychopolitics developed in the next book.
  4. PsicopolíticaIt develops how power today seduces rather than represses; best read after In the Swarm.
  5. La salvación de lo belloIt brings his critique of excess positivity to art and aesthetics, starting from the smooth and polished.
  6. La expulsión de lo distintoabout 3 hoursIt returns to the disappearance of the other and the rule of sameness, themes already present in the earlier books.
  7. La desaparición de los ritualesabout 5 hoursIt uses rituals as a contrast to describe an age with plenty of communication and little community.
  8. No-cosasabout 4 hoursA 2022 essay on how information is displacing objects; it includes his reflection on the smartphone.
  9. Vida contemplativaabout 4 hoursAfter the diagnosis, a proposal: it defends inactivity and contemplation as an answer to self-exploitation.
  10. El espíritu de la esperanzaAnother book in the same answering key: hope as a way of living in times of crisis, illustrated with works by Anselm Kiefer.
  11. Sobre DiosA dialogue with Simone Weil best left for last, once the ills he describes elsewhere are familiar.

Byung-Chul Han's books, second-hand

11 books with used copies for sale. Prices from 6 October 2026.

La agonía del ErosByung-Chul Hanfrom €5.99 −40%
La expulsión de lo distintoByung-Chul Hanfrom €9.71 La sociedad del cansancioByung-Chul Hanfrom €11.50
La desaparición de los ritualesByung-Chul Hanfrom €11.98
Vida contemplativaByung-Chul Hanfrom €12.56 −26%El espíritu de la esperanzaByung-Chul Hanfrom €13.38
No-cosasByung-Chul Hanfrom €13.39 −21%En el enjambreByung-Chul Hanfrom €15.90 Sobre DiosByung-Chul Hanfrom €16.00 La salvación de lo belloByung-Chul Hanfrom €16.29
PsicopolíticaByung-Chul Hanfrom €16.99

What critics say

His books have been received best in the Spanish-speaking world: The Burnout Society was translated into more than 35 languages, and in 2025 he received the Princess of Asturias Award. Reviewers value how he condenses complex ideas into short, readable prose, but some criticise his drift into slogan-like statements and note that his books, built mostly as commentary on other thinkers, offer little argument.

If you like Byung-Chul Han

What the reading guides of their books suggest.

Written with AI help from Wikipedia and Pecia's reading guides, and reviewed by a person. Biographical facts from Wikidata. Wikipedia (es) · Wikipedia (en)