The Agony of Eros

The Agony of Eros by philosopher Byung-Chul Han is a philosophical essay exploring fundamental changes in how love and desire ("eros") are perceived and lived in modern society. The author argues that true love is threatened and languishing under the influence of individualism, capitalism and consumer culture, where relationships are often reduced to objectification, fleeting excitement and the pursuit of pleasure without depth.

In this book, Han examines how contemporary ideals of efficiency, self-realisation and performance have turned love into a form that often conflicts with the authentic experience of Eros – that is, the desire to know and experience "the other" deeply and without self-absorption. He suggests that love requires the courage to negate oneself for the sake of discovering "the other", but modern society makes this harder because of narcissism and the reduction of otherness to an object.