Refine
Language
- English (5)
Document Type
- Articles (3)
- Books (1)
- Dissertations (1)
Has Fulltext
- yes (5)
The author examines the views of several theorists associated with the Frankfurt School of Social Research on the subject of the authoritarian character. Attention is given first to differing assessments of the contribution of the partriarchal family to morality and individuality. Conflicting views of the Protestant conscience are then examined. The conclusion is drawn that the Frankfurt theorists differ significantly in their evaluations of patriarchal morality and religion, and in their approaches to matriarchy as an alternative pattern.
Recent discussions of the dominant Western character-type have focused on the decline of patriarchal conscience. The author compares Erich FROMM and Paul Tillich on these themes: characteristics of the bourgeois Protestant patriarchal conscience; the significance of its decline; and prescribed paths beyond it. Both regard the bourgeois Protestant type as unstable, needing either a regressive or a progressive solution to isolation. FROMM's progressive solution is humanistic conscience, returning to matriarchy on a higher level. Tillich sees FROMM's >human nature< as abstract; he seeks instead a connection between tradition and criticism, showing that patriarchy becomes self-critical in patriarchal religion. Like FROMM he restores matriarchy in his religion of grace.
An assessment of Rainer Funk's account of Erich FROMM's career and publications. The strengths of Funk's book lie in its treatment of FROMM's intellectual roots, and in its analyses of FROMM's social character theory and of his interpretation of humanistic ethics and religion. Its weaknesses are its inadequate critique of FROMM's relation to Freud and its failure to deal with FROMM's role in the Frankfurt School. Evaluates Funk's approach to FROMM's >having/being alternative<. Argues that FROMM failed to develop a completely adequate treatment of individualization, and that Funk missed the opportunity to clarify FROMM's position on this issue.