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Ethical Research on Fromm’s Alienated Consumption Theory, Master thesis, Ethics, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China 2022.

  • Fromm is one of the main representatives of Frankfurt School. He is deeply influenced by Marx and Freud. He combines Marx’s social critical theory with Freud’s psychoanalytic theory to systematically criticize the alienation of human existence. He is known as one of the founders of >psychoanalytic sociology<. Fromm paid special attention to the problem of alienated consumption in his analysis of the phenomenon of alienation in the existence of capitalist society, formed a relatively systematic thought and theory on alienated consumption, launched an ethical criticism on alienated consumption from the standpoint of humanitarianism, and put forward a new humanitarian consumption ethics of >re existence<. Fromm spent his whole life studying the problem of human existence. In the early stage, Fromm focused on psychological analysis from the microstructure of human spiritual entity. After coming into contact with Marx’s thoughts and theories on >alienated labor< and >humanism<, he began to construct his theoretical framework on the alienation of human existence from the macro social and economic structure. Fromm’s alienation of existence mainly includes three alienation phenomena: freedom alienation, love alienation and alienation consumption. Fromm believes that alienated consumption is one of the most serious problems in modern capitalist society. Alienated consumption makes people become greedy consumption machines and brings false freedom and happiness. It not only leads to the materialization of humanity and serious survival crisis, but also leads to the waste of resources and the deterioration of ecological environment. He pointed out that the lack of people’s transcendental needs and the capitalist economic system are the two root causes of alienated consumption. The character of modern society has strengthened the degree of alienation in the field of consumption. In this regard, Fromm proposed that the sublation of alienated consumption can be realized through human psychological reform, the establishment of productive personality and the improvement of social system, but his ideological approach of paying too much attention to human psychological role deviated from Marxist historical materialism, making his theory covered with idealism and Utopia. Facing the morbid western consumer society, Fromm deeply revealed the alienation relationship between man and self, man and society and between man and nature in capitalist society from the three dimensions of individual, society and nature. In order to make people in western society get rid of alienated consumption, correct human nature and save the society, Fromm deeply exposed and criticized the inhumane phenomenon of alienated consumption, and clearly put forward the consumption ethical principle of new humanitarianism of >taking human existence as the highest value pursuit<, as well as the value orientation of >re existence<, healthy and humane consumption mode and the ethical norms that people should bear historical responsibility, so as to realize people’s real freedom and happiness and rebuild the harmony between man and nature. Fromm’s alienated consumption theory embodies the value orientation of pursuing individual freedom, rationality and love, the willingness and yearning for social harmonious order, and the attention to maintaining the balance between freedom and order, rationality and emotion, which leads to consumers’ rational reflection on the moral concept, aesthetic evaluation and love emotion of alienated consumption, and then stimulates the consciousness of alienated consumption and survival crisis under the capitalist system. Fromm’s revelation of the triple distorted ethical relationship caused by alienated consumption is profound, and his criticism of the inhuman consumption view of alienated consumption is reasonable. His alienated consumption theory provides a new path for people in western society to deeply understand the essence of capitalist society, and also provides a reference for the construction of socialist consumption ethics with Chinese characteristics in the new era, It reminds us that we should give consideration to the development of spiritual civilization while vigorously developing material civilization, and pay attention to the real needs of people and the harmonious development of society. Therefore, we should Constructing individual consumption ethics of >re existence<, advocate consumers’ moderate consumption, and rebuild the traditional virtue of thrift. Build a sustainable social consumption ethics, advocate the concept of green consumption in the society, guide sustainable consumption, and rebuild the harmony between man and nature. [Translation: www.cnki.net, 1/2023]

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Metadaten
Author:Wang Han
Document Type:Dissertations
Language:Chinese
Year of first Publication:2022
Release Date:2024/04/04
Format:no download and copy possible
IdNo:Han_Wang_2022
Writings about Erich Fromm (Secondary Literature):Dissertations / Dissertationen
Erich Fromm's Library and Erich Fromm Archive:Dissertations / Dissertationen
Licence (German):
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