Refine
Language
- Spanish (2)
Document Type
- Articles (2)
Has Fulltext
- yes (2)
Year of publication
- 1986 (2)
The great moral problem of today, according to Erich FROMM, is the submission to power. The replacement of dictatorship by democracy and the relieving of internal psychological repression do not make authority disappear, only anonymous. FROMM's distinction between authoritarian and humanist conscience is contrasted with Sigmund Freud's theory of the genesis of the superego: authoritarian conscience emphasizes obedience to external force, the sacrifice of integrity for security, and the feeling of weakness and dependency; humanist conscience is rational and free, making obedience a matter of responsibility to one's self. The evasion mechanisms of authoritarianism, destructiveness, and conformism are described.