The paradox of retrieval: the Other, the authentic self, and the logical tensions in Byung-Chul Han’s critique of digital capitalism

Abstract Byung-Chul Han’s framework proposes reconstructing Otherness to resist the homogenization imposed by digital capitalism, offering a novel explanatory lens for addressing the existential plight of subjects under digital capitalist conditions. Han posits the negativity and mediatory nature of the Other (der Andere) as the foundation for the existence of the authentic self (authentisches Selbst) . However, in digital capitalism, the Other is flattened into the Same through homogenization, erasing the possibility of the authentic self discovering itself within the They (das Man) . Consequently, both the Other and the authentic self descend into existential crises of disappearance and shock . To counter this, Han advocates interrupting digital capitalism’s pseudo-acceleration through contemplation and narrative , restoring the Other’ s negativity and mediation to recover the vanished Other and revive the authentic self . Nevertheless, the inherent paradoxes in Han’s critique, such as his reliance on dialectics , speed , and contemplation , ultimately trap his logic in an unattainable Eden.