“Self-Exploitation” without “Self”-A Critique of Byung-Chul Han’s Theory of“Self-Exploitation”

Byung-Chul Han claimed that “self-exploitation” refers to a phenomenon in which subjects, absent coercion from an external “other”, actively exploit themselves from within, with the purpose of “self-optimization”. The key lies in the disappearance of the “other” and the transformation of the exploiting subject. Byung-Chul Han offered a novel interpretation distinct from traditional theory regarding the subjects implicated in exploitation, the driving forces behind overwork, and the pathways of “self” development. It was precisely these understandings that led him to erroneously posit “self-exploitation” as a new essential characteristic of exploitation in the neoliberal phase, thereby attempting to question and reconstruct Marx’s theory of exploitation. In fact, Marx provided a profound argument about the origins of capitalist exploitation from the perspective of ownership, clearly stating that the “separation” between laborers and the means of production is a necessary condition for exploitation to arise. There is no free and conscious “self” in the process of “self-exploitation”; what is termed “self-exploitation” is actually a form of concealed exploitation imposed on laborers by neoliberal ideology and financial imperialism through means such as creating“making-out game”, algorithmic surveillance, performance assessments, and the shaping of subjectivity. In summary, only through resolute proletarian revolution can laborers escape their tragic fate of being exploited and oppressed.