PsychoPolitics and Smart Power

In the 'Second Treatise of Government', Locke critiques the divine right of kings and argues for a more civilized society based on natural rights and contract theory. He defines political power as the right to make laws for the protection and regulation of property, emphasizing that legitimate governments must have the consent of the people. Locke also discusses the state of nature, the rise of property and civilization, and the right of revolution, advocating for a system with separate legislative, executive, and judicial powers to ensure the protection of life, liberty, and property.

Byung-Chul Han interprets the widespread malaise in modern society as an inability to manage negative experiences in an age characterized by excessive positivity and the universal availability of people and goods. He argues that the shift from a disciplinary society to an achievement society, where individuals are driven by self-monitoring and the desire to achieve, leads to auto-exploitation and burnout. Han draws on literature, philosophy, and the social and natural sciences to explore the consequences of sacrificing intermittent intellectual reflection for constant neural connection and the impact of hyperattention and multitasking on mental health and culture.