Byung-Chul Han

German philosopher of South Korean origin · South Korea · Academics · Born 1959 · age 67

Byung-Chul Han is read about 1,608 times a day, in 28 languages.

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Byung-Chul Han is a South Korean-born German philosopher, Catholic theologian and cultural theorist. He was a professor at the Berlin University of the Arts and still occasionally gives courses there. His work largely centers around critiques of neoliberalism and its impact on society and the individual.

A life in dates

2025Princess of Asturias Award for Communications and HumanitiesAward2023“If life can no longer be narrated, wisdom deteriorates, and its place is taken by problem-solving.”In their wordsThe Crisis of Narration (2023)Read the whole statement

“Stories on digital platforms like Facebook or Instagram are not genuine stories. They have no narrative duration.”In their wordsThe Crisis of Narration (2023)Read the whole statement

“Without narration, life is purely additive.”In their wordsThe Crisis of Narration (2023)Read the whole statement

“Psychological disorders are symptoms of a blocked story... The patient is cured the moment she narrates herself free.”In their wordsThe Crisis of Narration (2023)Read the whole statement

2022“The freedom of the 'everyday mind' consists rather in not kneeling down in awe. Its mental attitude is better expressed as "sitting unmoveable like an object.”In their wordsThe Philosophy of Zen Buddhism (2022)Read the whole statement

“...Zen Buddhism, this religion of immanence.”In their wordsThe Philosophy of Zen Buddhism (2022)Read the whole statement

2016Salzburg State Prize for Future ResearchAward2015Prix Bristol des LumièresAward1959Born

Also in Deutsch

Photos 2

Han being awarded the Prix Bristol des Lumières [fr] alongside Jacques Attali, Christophe Barbier, Philippe-Joseph Salazar, among others

In their own words 10

Byung-Chul Han

10 statements, newest first

If life can no longer be narrated, wisdom deteriorates, and its place is taken by problem-solving.
2023, The Crisis of Narration (2023), Own words
Stories on digital platforms like Facebook or Instagram are not genuine stories. They have no narrative duration.
2023, The Crisis of Narration (2023), Own words
The smartphone seems to be a playground, but it is a digital panopticon.
2023, The Crisis of Narration (2023), Own words