Event Report: 1st Philosophy Conference: Reflections on Byung-Chul Han in the Digital Age
December 3-5, 2024
Quito, Ecuador
Written by: Juan Estaban Echeverry Murillo, IAPSS Ecuador National Chair, ecuador@iapss.org
Resumen del 1er Congreso de Filosofía en español.
The 1st Philosophy Conference, co-organized by the Universidad Central del Ecuador, the Filosófica Foundation, the Universidad Hemisferios, the Stipendienwerk Lateinamerika-Deutschland (ICALA), and IAPSS Ecuador, was held with great success from December 3 to 5, 2024, in Quito. The primary objective of this event was to explore the ideas of philosopher Byung-Chul Han in the context of the digital age and its contemporary challenges, fostering critical thought and intellectual engagement across disciplines. The conference opened with a keynote address by Alberto León titled “Living in the Society of Exhaustion: Integral Fatigue as a Modern Paradigm,” which set the stage for three days of profound discussion. Throughout the event, topics such as digital capitalism, psychopolitics, gender inequality, and the aesthetics of artificial intelligence were critically examined.
Notably, discussions centered on the impact of digital transparency and the commodification of emotional labor, offering fresh perspectives on societal structures. One of the highlights was the session on gender and power, featuring thought-provoking presentations like “Fatigue Has a Woman’s Face,” which delved into the disproportionate burden of neoliberal demands on women. This thematic approach underscored the need for philosophical insights into structural inequities. Art and technology also played a pivotal role, with reflections on the intersection of virtual reality and human experience. Alejandro Aguirre’s analysis of films like “Her” and “Perfect Days” illuminated Byung-Chul Han’s ideas on contemplation and identity in the digital era, sparking rich debate among participants.
The conference further explored ethical dimensions and the nature of violence in contemporary society. Discussions on “duoviolence” and resistance strategies emphasized the importance of critical thought amidst increasing surveillance and hyper-productivity. The event concluded with a powerful closing lecture by Alexander Amézquita, “Anti-Curation of Work: Removing Labor Experience from the Museum of Neoliberal Disasters,” which synthesized the conference themes and left attendees with a call to action for societal transformation.
This conference was not merely a theoretical exercise but a profound engagement with pressing global issues. The collaboration among participating institutions fostered a robust dialogue that bridged philosophical inquiry with practical challenges, leaving an indelible mark on the regional academic landscape.