In this book, Byung-Chul Han explores the inner life of Hegel's philosophy by examining it in terms of the phenomenon of power. Power is not a marginal building block in the Hegelian system; it is its inner constitution. But for all its pomp and splendour, indeed despite a certain beauty, power does not exhaust being. Through his examination of power in Hegel's work, Han seeks to make visible another form of being – friendliness.

While power encloses and fences in, friendliness de-internalizes the spirit to become a fully open house. Friendliness involves humans retreating so that the world can blossom, in the way that Cezanne's landscapes portray a nature without humans which shines with a special friendliness and warmth – the landscape smiles, for once things are emptied and de-internalized, they become open and welcoming, they are mutually permeable and they mirror one another. Through analyses of art and music, Han invites us to attune ourselves to multiplicity and diversity, to the small and the unassuming, and to withdraw the self in a way that allows the world to have a say. Only friendliness allows us to perceive the beauty of the world beyond us in a non-teleological fashion, and to sidestep the self-affirmation of power.

Byung-Chul Han is the author of more than 20 books including The Burnout Society, Saving Beauty, The Scent of Time and The Spirit of Hope.