Disappearance of Rituals

Byung-Chul Han is a Korean-born Professor of Philosophy and Cultural Studies who teaches at the University of the Arts (UdK) in Berlin. He is the author of more than 20 books including The Scent of Time, Saving Beauty and The Burnout Society.

• Preliminary Remark vi 1. The Compulsion of Production 12. The Compulsion of Authenticity 163. Rituals of Closure 274. Festivals and Religion 365. A Game of Life and Death 476. The End of History 567 The Empire of Signs 608. From Duelling to Drone Wars 699. From Myth to Dataism 7610. From Seduction to Porn 84Notes 90Bibliography 99

"Byung-Chul Han's new book challenges the reader to go far beyond the worn-out critique of neoliberalism. On the one side, there is the progressive replacement of substance through communication, painted as a road to existential perdition; it contrasts, on the other side, with the utopian view of a return towards the security of rituals in their form and appearance. This reversal of long-established thought is expressed in a compressed and energetic language that reads like a manifesto."Hans Ulrich Gumbrecht, Stanford University "The kind of book … that leads one to rethink our standard narratives of history and to see our society and era in a fresh light."Steven Mintz, Inside Higher Ed "an essential philosopher for anyone wanting to diagnose what plagues the modern person"The Gospel Coalition"This book is a powerful reminder of the purpose and potential of ritual actions, and what role the arts can serve in our alienated and desacralized times."Yuval Sharon, The New Yorker“In a culture obsessed with progress, disruption, and innovation, Han’s conservative defense of ritual feels both radical and necessary. For anyone concerned with the spiritual and social dimensions of modern life, Byung-Chul Han’s The Disappearance of Rituals is worth reading.”Jeremy Bassetti“Han is a joy to read. His writing isn’t quite aphoristic, but it has an Hemingway-esque sinewy strength to it. His pronouncements hit you at a gut level."Law & Liberty“Han’s criticism is welcome, pertinent, and current”The European Conservative“makes useful and necessary philosophical distinctions that allow the reader to further contemplate man’s place in a chaotic world and possibly change not only the way we perceive the world but also to encourage creation rather than destruction.”American Essence