Here’s a short review for a short book. In fact, calling it a “book” stretches the definition. It’s a 60-page essay with an intriguing argument.

We’ve moved from a disciplinary society (see Foucault) to an achievement society:

Disciplinary society is still governed by no. Its negativity produces madmen and criminals. In contrast, achievement society creates depressives and losers. (9)

The modern abundance of neurological illnesses—depression, ADHD, borderline personality disorder, and burnout syndrome—are consequences of living in the achievement society with its excess of positivity. Byung-Chul Han only offers diagnosis here, no cure. The final words in the book describe modern humans as “too alive to die, and too dead to live.” Bleak.

If the topic and thesis were not so fascinating I would have given up on this essay sooner. While I understand that good philosophy is not always easy reading, Han is willfully obtuse. Or maybe it’s his translator. Either way: intriguing thesis, difficult read.

Han, Byung-Chul. The Burnout Society. 2010. Translated by Erik Butler. Stanford UP, 2015.