Byung-Chul Han, The Burnout Society

In this introductory video, Professor Ellie Anderson presents some of the ideas that contemporary Berlin-based philosopher Byung-Chul Han develops in The Burnout Society. Han asserts that Foucault’s notion of a ’disciplinary society’ has been replaced with an ’achievement-society’ characterized by hyperattention, depression, and divisive tiredness. This video was created based on Professor Anderson’s Continental Thought course at Pomona College and Pitzer College. All of our Continental Thought lectures are meant as introductions to key claims in the texts, not as endorsements or stand-alone explainers. You can find the book here: For more from Dr. Anderson, check out Overthink podcast available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen (including previous episodes here on YouTube!)