Freedom of Thought according to Byung-Chul Han

Byung-Chul Han is a South Korean-born philosopher and cultural theorist based in Germany, known for his incisive critiques of contemporary society, particularly the impacts of digital capitalism, neoliberalism, and the erosion of meaningful human experiences.

His work draws on thinkers like Heidegger, Foucault, and Baudrillard, but he applies them to modern phenomena such as social media, surveillance, and the pressure of constant self-optimization. In “The Burnout Society” (2010), Han argues that today’s achievement-oriented culture leads to widespread depression, ADHD, and burnout, shifting from external discipline to internalized exploitation where individuals become their own taskmasters.