Book Review

 

Department of Philosophy Faculty of Arts, Silpakorn University, "The fragrance of time in the digital world" (Google translated from Thai)

The fragrance of time in the digital world

in The Scent of Time book. The German philosopher of Korean descent, Byung-Chul Han, discusses the role of time in modern society and its impact on our lives. Han argues that time has become a commodity in contemporary society, with people feeling constantly pressured to make the most of it in order to be productive and successful. Han states that this constant focus on time has led to a society characterized by fatigue and burnout. He also discusses how technology changes our relationship with time, and how technology causes feelings of disconnection and loneliness. This book is a thought-provoking exploration of the role of time in modern society and how time defines our lives....

In the above text, the author asks the AI, which offers a free trial like ChatGPT, to summarize the importance of Byung-cheol Han's book The Scent of Time, a Korean philosopher who later converted to German, stating that it should be summarized in 5-7 sentences in English.

The results are quite remarkable: AI was able to process the importance of the book, without much discrepancy, perhaps only about loneliness that wasn't the main issue.

As a university professor, the author immediately felt some threats that just by thinking, he felt tired.

However, the author would like to extend on the ai writings translated by Google translated above.

It doesn't share the value of the matter with either of them.

As AI has briefed us, digital technologies go hand in hand with capitalism and neoliberalism. It changes the human experience of time.

In short, Capitalism makes us evaluate everything as a commodity and a resource, including time.

The neoliberals believed in the effectiveness of the market and individuality, and now it is an era of acceleration, until it is said that even ordering food and serving it immediately is considered slow. What people glorify is efficiency.

The most effective way that capitalism exploits human beings is to make humans not feel exploited by giving us the freedom to exploit ourselves for success until we are exhausted and burnt out.

Han aimed to criticize. Michel Fugot French philosopher and Marxist theorist

In Fugot's case, Han saw that the analysis of a society of discipline, in which people were directed by certain disciplines, was appropriate for the last century.

For example, the analysis of prisons, insane hospitals, which has led to the classification of criminals and insane people, but today is a society where power and freedom go hand in hand. People are free to exploit themselves.

The Fugot method of analysis is therefore outdated.

Meanwhile, the Marxist method of analysis is Han sees it as unusable to society where people exploit themselves.

Moreover, a society covered by digital technology becomes an unconnected individual and suffers from depression. Moreover, it is impossible to create a revolutionary masses.

Han sees that in such a society, we will find a digital crowd (The Swarm) spewing drama at each other every day.

What is missing is a public space that will help weave conversations on important social issues, leading to conclusions.

Anyone can produce content and then publish it on social media without responsibility.

Unlike earlier publications, editors scrutinized and held accountable for writings in the media they oversee.

besides Politicians themselves do not have time to think and debate public issues that will lead to policy making and then implementing it.

In such a society, we can hear modern proclamations like encouraging speakers telling us to be happy rather than sarcastic remarks pointing out the social problems of revolutionaries.

You can see the symptoms of a society of success in the product advertisement Just do it, which means do it. Anything is possible anyway.

This causes losers and depressed patients.

Even more so nowadays, social media offers a picture of someone else's happy and successful life. It reinforces one's own failures. In spite of the images presented, they were bended. Cut, composed,

Bittersweetly, we often use applications to bend our faces and shapes (including the authors themselves) to look beautiful and look good, until "the world is distorted" in the literal sense.

In other words, we try to present our true self as a selling point, but inside it is hollow naked.

The suicide rate in a highly competitive society like South Korea is the result of people aiming for success and then becoming losers.

In addition Many human experiences that are time-bound are also affected.

For example, rest becomes preparation in order to work effectively.

Even bedtime, which is what represents the end of the day, becomes a distressed experience of insomnia. Instead of a warm time. Instead, we heard the clock tick tock.

This time of being smashed into pieces, it has affected our identity into a fraction of what lacks continuity.

When time breaks apart, the experience of duration or the fragrance of time also deteriorates.

Literature should give us a lot of clarity. Han's example is the French novelist Marcel Prust's In Search of Lost Time, which depicts his youthful experiences as "a long time ago, I went to bed early in the evening," which depicts happy days, especially experiences of time.

Or in a scene depicting the flavor of tea and madelelan, which restores childhood memories.

This literature focuses on the acceleration of the industrial age and points the way to re-establishing our self-gathering through our experiences over time.

Han sees that the solution to such problems is not to slow down life as the movement to live slowly. (slow living movement) claims

Because slowing down life is only what reinforces the symptoms of the disease. It's also not the same way to relive happiness.

The solution, however, is to find the scent of modern times, or to strike a balance between contemplation and action, which also engulfs the working life.

This is because contemplation requires time to be with oneself, thus bringing back the experience of time.

In addition Artistic experiences can also help us reconnect with the moment. Because viewing art takes time to reflect.

Art is also counterproductive to hasty and often easy consumption.

In a work called Undinge (2021), Han suggests that, in addition to time experiences, there is no need to worry. Digital technology also affects the experience of space and the things around it. Material objects are inextricably related to human life and that human beings give meaning to their own life or existence. Whether it's a table or a chair. The meaning of these utensils or devices is traced back to self-understanding, which is connected to others and the community around them.

Han sees an object or thing (ding) as something that creates stability or a peaceful space for human life.

But digital technology has broken down objects into information, making things undinge.

Man is no longer dependent on earth and sky. Instead, rely on Google Earth and the Cloud.

The authors see that an obvious example in this case is the minimalist lifestyle that has been trending since the last decade.

We see a picture of a minimalist guru of simple life, set in a white room with a few pieces of white furniture. This disgust seems to be a symptom of capitalism and neoliberalism today.

But if you think about it again, you will find that the removal of belongings according to the advice of the housekeeper, whether mini-list or marie kondo, leaving only the spark joy reflects the state in which human beings do not have the power to manage their lives other than their own belongings.

Our cosmic dwelling has become a clean, white space. It's no different from the necropolis or tombs of Greek times.

And we can only do this if we are sure that we have the money to buy things that will be used immediately in convenience stores.

actually A call for us to find the scent of time that suits the times by bringing back contemplation. To get the time to come back, we might have to fight, as director Nadrew Niccol's film In Time (2011) makes clear. And yet, Han's criticism of the society of success is worth listening to.

The most important We need to think seriously about the influence of digital technology or AI on ethnic, social and political issues.