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Der Soziologe und Psychoanalytiker Erich Fromm (1900–1980) entwickelte eine sozialpsychologische Methode, deren besondere Bedeutung darin liegt, dass sie auch unbewusste Motivationen und Antriebskräfte erfasst. Auf diese Weise lassen sich auch Strebungen und Verhaltensweisen sowie öffentliche Wertvorstellungen und Denkmuster ermitteln, die in einer humanistischen Perspektive als gesellschaftlich erzeugte psychische >Defekte< anzusehen sind. Mit seinem Konzept des Sozialcharakters lässt sich das, was in einer bestimmten Gesellschaft als >normal< und >vernünftig< empfunden wird, als mögliche >Pathologie der Normalität< hinterfragen. Wie aktuell sein Ansatz für eine Kritische Psychologie ist, wird am derzeit dominanten Sozialcharakter verdeutlicht.
Foreword
(2022)
Erich Fromm
(2022)
Erich Fromm hat vor etwa 90 Jahren eine Theorie undMethode der Analytischen Sozialpsychologie entwickelt und in der Folgezeit zur Anwendung gebracht. Die Analytische Sozialpsychologie ist es wert, in Erinnerung gerufen und auf ihre Relevanz für die Gegenwart befragt zu werden. Nach einer Einleitung werden in mehreren Abschnitten Fromms Theorie und Methode der Analytischen Sozialpsychologie detailliert nachgezeichnet. In einem weiteren Abschnitt werden Fromms humanbiologische Begründungen seiner Sozialpsychoanalyse skizziert. Deren Anwendung und Relevanz werden daran anschließend anhand der Phänotypik und Psychodynamik von Sozialcharakter-Orientierungen illustriert. Abschließend wird die Frage von Fromms Aktualität erneut aufgegriffen.
Psychoanalysis in the shadow of fascism and genocide: Erich Fromm and the interpersonal tradition
(2022)
The aim of this paper is to give the reader an overview of several theoretical, empirical, and clinical features of survivor guilt, and to integrate recent contributions of psychodynamic theory and, in particular, of control-mastery theory into the understanding of the concept alongside the latest findings in social psychology about it. After introducing the concept of survivor guilt and its origins in clinical observations on the consequences of having survived severe traumas (e.g., internment in concentration camps), we will discuss the findings in social psychology on the concept of survivor guilt in everyday social interactions, which is based on a conception that does not connect it strictly to severe traumas. We will then focus our attention on clinical observations and empirical research studies about survivor guilt, discussing the hypotheses developed by several control-mastery theorists about its role in psychopathology. Finally, we will illustrate some manifestations of survivor guilt with a brief clinical vignette.
The short story entitled >Mu'tamar Al-Hub< by Taufiq Al-Hakim is a short story that contains the theme of love. The short story is interesting because it contains different views on the understanding of love. This study examines the psychology of the character in the short story which focuses on the characteristics of each character's love. The method used in this study is a qualitative method with the psychoanalytic theory of Erich Fromm. In this study, researchers found two divisions of the psychology of love in the short story character >Mu'tamar Al-Hub<. That is, found four forms of essential elements of love and five forms of objects of love. First, the researcher found the psychology of journalist characters who showed an attitude of concern, and responsibility and included in the type of erotic love. Second, the psychology of the musician character shows responsibility and the type of love in the form of motherly love. Third, the psychology of the poet’s character shows the respect and love included in the category of brotherly love and erotic love. Fourth, the psychology of the female character shows that there are aspects of her knowledge and love character in the form of self-love.
Erich Fromm is a famous Western Marxist, and a key member of Frankfurt School. He constructed his own humanistic ideology, with exploring the living dilemma of modern people, criticizing the morbid society and yearning for a sound society in the future as the goal, calling for human subjectivity as the object of study and the thread that runs through all theories, analysis of phenotypic analysis mechanism and character structure of modern alienation as the breakthrough point. There is a profound brand of the times and a complex theoretical background during the formation of humanistic thought. The brutality of the two world wars trampling on human nature, the rapid recovery of western economies lead to the war aggravating the alienation of human nature and generalizing the phenotypic analysis problems, and the influence of religion and family all prompted him to devote himself to realizing the return of >human< in academic and practice. The recommendation and application of Marx’s theory of labor alienation by Frankfurt School and the exploration and revelation of human nature by psychoanalysis theory have prepared the prerequisite conditions for the construction of his cultural view of human nature and humanitarian ideological system. >Alienation< – the core concept of Marx’s theory, Freud’s theory of the structure of character, the cultural undertones of western liberalism and humanism, the social critical theory of the Frankfurt School. All of these above, are the theoretical origin of its ideological system. Starting from the logic of modern man, Fromm takes Marx’s theory of labor alienation and Freud’s >synthesis< of psychoanalysis as the research tool, comprehensively and systematically expounds his own humanitarian thoughts. First, freedom is a matter of quantity as well as quality. Through analyzing the phenotypic analysis mechanism and character structure of human alienation, he pointed out that modern people have two sides of >gain< and >escape< in their treatment of freedom which root in man’s living circumstance and individual experience. Second, alienation is a universal objective existence. He defined alienation as an emotional and psychological subjective experience. He believes that alienation of capitalist society is constantly deepening and universalizing, mainly in the aspects of human nature, social character, social psychology and emotion. Third, love is a force that overcomes alienation. Love is an art and an ability that can be learned by practice. The ability to love is the way and method to overcome alienation, but the acquisition of the ability to love depends on the influence of the society on the personality of the individual. Modern westerners are cogs in machines that cannot love, so the ability to love is gradually being lost. Fourth, the hallmark of a healthy society is sharing. Through the psychoanalysis of human beings, Fromm concluded that western society is morbid and unsound. He proposed to reform the society from three aspects – economy, politics and culture, and expected to build a >humanistic public ownership< of a sound society with shared work, shared experience and common management. He believed that this is the goal of all the modern people. Fromm’s humanistic thought is unique. In the construction of the humanistic ideological system, he took a road of focusing on the micro, the macro and the reality. Its main characteristics are the >comprehensive< innovation in the ideological system, and the call for the subjectivity of human beings in the purpose and method. The most notable feature is the profound analysis and humanistic criticism of western capitalism based on reality. Fromm’s humanistic thought has irreplaceable academic status and application value in the western cultural tradition and the theoretical pedigree of Western Marxism. It has enlightenment and reference function in restraining the phenotypic analysis mechanism and social character of human alienation and overcoming the >possession-oriented ways of existence< to a certain extent. But supplementing Marxism with the subjectively defined theory of human nature, attributing the pathology of modern and contemporary capitalist societies to problems of human nature, defining the transformation of western society as the transformation of human nature, using >love< and >character construction< as tools to transform reality and build a sound society all obviously have theoretical prejudice and character of Utopia. [Translation: www.cnki.net, 1/2023]
This thesis adopts Erich Fromm’s theory of escape from freedom and takes the economic background of the 20th century America into consideration to analyze the characters in >Death of a Salesman< and thus to find out the psychological motivations behind the characters’ behavior as well as a reasonable explanation of their destiny from the perspective of freedom. Willy Loman, the protagonist of Death of a Salesman, enjoys a certain degree of freedom and the opportunity to choose according to their own will, only to give up the best choice to himself and the family. Individuals like Willy are in pursuit of freedom, but as they hold it, though in a liberated sense, they sometimes abandon it. The secret behind the contradiction is definitely worth exploring. According to Fromm’s psychoanalytical theory, free choice always brings about a frustrating sense of powerlessness and anxiety, which fosters fear in people’s heart. In order to alleviate or eliminate the fear, people rashly choose to give up part of their freedom in exchange for a sense of certainty and security. As they repeat the escape from time to time, they completely lose their control of freedom in the long run and thus become slaves to life. This paper borrows Fromm’s theory of >escape from freedom< which features primary bonds, alienation, and negative freedom, and selects Willy Loman as the object of analysis to explore the driving force behind the behavior of escaping from freedom from a psychoanalysis level. The primary bond and alienation parts mainly explain why Willy seems to be haunted with negative emotions when facing freedom, and the negative freedom part analyzes why he conducts so many negative behaviors, including suicide, when dealing with challenging situations. Through exploring the psychological motivation for escaping from freedom, this paper attempts to provide corresponding solutions to help people make rational choices. Here, the paper also turns to Fromm’s another psychoanalytical work >The Sane Society< which illustrates the rational individual psychology, interpersonal relationship and social structure that a sane society is supposed to have, in order to reveal the most significant factors that people should take into consideration when facing the freedom to choose. >Death of a Salesman< is so influential a work. The tragedy it contains triggers strong emotional resonance among the audience as readers can often find their own features in the characters. With Fromm’s theory of >escape from freedom< as the theoretical tool, the paper aims to provide a diagnosis for people who share the same trouble with Willy Loman, thereby helping them to gain a better understanding of what leads to their dilemma and accordingly, what the potential solution is. [www.cnki.net, 1/2023]
[Chinese abstract not available] The thoughts of world peace is the mainstream thoughts in Fromm’s humanistic philosophy, Fromm believes: >The ideal of a world of a great harmony is the common aspiration of human, and it is also the common goal that human beings should try their best to achieve.< Fromm integrated Freud’s and Marx’s theories and revealed that the first inherent potential in human nature, namely creativity, reason and love, is the key to realize a sound human society, and is also the source of strength for human beings to realize a peaceful world without war. There is still the second potential in human nature, which is to pursue the satisfaction of human beings’ natural desires. Under the unsound social environment, the second potential of human beings may develop morbidly under the joint action of various factors that violate human nature, and then become the fuse of war and conflict. In Fromm’s theory, human nature is consistent with human nature. Human nature is contradictory, and human nature is not fixed and rigid. Contradictions contained in human nature directly determine human behavior and its realistic results, and then determine whether the human world will achieve peace or be deeply mired in war. Because of the consistent relationship between the contradiction contained in human nature and the process of human practice, the positive change of human practice, the way of practice and the return of human nature to the first potential are the powers to reshape sound human nature and create a peaceful new world. Therefore, human nature is plastic, and there is hope for world peace.– By analyzing the socialized and historically evolving human nature, Fromm reveals that social development is not only determined by economic factors, but also influenced by social character and social unconsciousness. Social unconsciousness is the repressed part of society that is incompatible with the mainstream consciousness of society. Through the screening of social filters, That is to say, after being filtered by the social mainstream consciousness system composed of language, logic and social taboos, the unconscious commonality contained in the social unconscious and meeting the corresponding screening standards can rise to the social consciousness level and become a component of the social mainstream consciousness. At the same time, the social unconscious that does not meet the relevant screening standards does not disappear, but penetrates the development and deepening of labor and social exchanges with the participation of all members. Universal penetration and integration into the subconscious activities of all members, and in the unconscious practice of most members, it exerts a subtle influence on the thoughts and behaviors of all members, and has made an influence on the future trend of the society as a whole.– In addition, there is a close relationship between the realization of world peace and human behavior. Human behavior is the search, practice and creation of survival significance under the specific historical and production conditions of society. Fromm divides human behavior into rational behavior and irrational behavior according to the beneficial and unhelpful cooperation between human behavior and society. Irrational behavior is the alienation behavior polluted by inhuman factors, resulting in the generalization and pathological performance of social members. Rational behavior is a normal behavior conforming to the first potential of human nature. After being refined by the common practice of society, individual behavior gradually condenses into the general behavior of society around the humanity with the characteristics of the times and nationalities. Society itself exists as the foundation of the human world, and the soundness and morbidity of the general behavior of society directly determine the common destiny of the world. Therefore, the realization of world peace should not be limited to the perfection of human nature, but the social unconsciousness and the soundness of human behavior also play an important role. Social character also has an important influence on the development of society and the realization of positive peace. Fromm put forward the concept of social character in his book Escape from Freedom, and discussed the social character and character structure hidden behind mass behavior. Later, in his monograph >The Sane Society<, he studied the dialectical relationship among the three factors of >economic basis, social character thoughts and ideal<, revealing that social character is a dynamic evolution process of human nature. Social character plays both positive and negative roles in the economic foundation of society and the actual behavior of human beings. The overall practice of human beings determines the sound level of social character, and the soundness of social character also has a great impact on the overall practice of human beings and its practical results. Therefore, the realization of human positive peace can not be separated from the assistance of positive social character, which reflects human nature and plays a great role in the development of social history and the realization of human peace in reality.– The discussion of world peace is the peak of Erich Fromm’s philosophical development, and it is also the main logical clue to implement Fromm’s humanistic philosophy. One of the notable signs is that Fromm opposes US imperialism, Nazism and hegemonism and advocates world peace. Fromm wrote: >The future world should be a one-size-fits-all world.< […], that is to say, the future world is a borderless human union that has permanently eliminated the wars among countries, political parties, races, groups and organizations. Unfortunately, no matter at home or abroad, there are very few works that discover this theme and study it, and there are great limitations. However, from the two aspects of history and reality derived from human development, it is not difficult to find that although the world situation has been in turmoil for a long time, the pursuit of world peace by human beings is still the general trend. The disasters that occurred in the past and are happening have proved that the corresponding problems can be solved as desired by no country or a few countries alone. The world itself is a community of destiny, so human beings need to unite and tide over difficulties together. Fromm’s thoughts of world peace occupies an important position in his research in many fields. This thesis uses >the subject of world peace – the behavior of the subject – the society connected with the subject< as a dynamic logical framework, systematically reconstructs Fromm’s thoughts of world peace, and provides a new perspective for studying Fromm’s thoughts. [Translation: www.cnki.net, 2/2024]
The postmodern Querfront
(2022)
In this paper, I explore the nature of Paul Williams’ portrayal of the psychological growth of the narrator in The fifth principle and Scum. Growing up in an impoverished environment, both as a child and as an adolescent, the narrator experienced forms of neglect and abuse, which, together with the fantasies that he created, left him traumatized and close to being totally shattered. This is conveyed quite graphically through the use of various stylistic devices that include shifts in the method of narration in both books as well as the innovative use of language in Scum. Through extensive introspection as well as the help provided by others, the narrator suggests that he became sufficiently psychologically independent as well as capable of feeling connected to others in sustained ways.
In this paper, I explore the nature of Paul Williams’ portrayal of the psychological growth of the narrator in The fifth principle and Scum. Growing up in an impoverished environment, both as a child and as an adolescent, the narrator experienced forms of neglect and abuse, which, together with the fantasies that he created, left him traumatized and close to being totally shattered. This is conveyed quite graphically through the use of various stylistic devices that include shifts in the method of narration in both books as well as the innovative use of language in Scum. Through extensive introspection as well as the help provided by others, the narrator suggests that he became sufficiently psychologically independent as well as capable of feeling connected to others in sustained ways.
[Chinese abstract not available] Love is an inescapable issue in the development of human society, and love is not simply a matter of >sexual attraction< the definition of the concept and the true meaning behind it need to be further explored. Marx and Engels affirmed the importance of sex as the biological basis of love from the perspective of human physiology. On this basis, they emphasise that love is a social relationship unique to human society and should be a strong, solid and deep feeling between people of the opposite sex based on mutual admiration and a desire to be with each other for life. Marx and Engels were not crystallised by gender relations in the capitalist era and saw the illusion of ’love first’ created by capitalist private ownership. The aim of this paper is to analyse Marx and Engels’ critique of recent Western ideas on love and to explore the model of love envisaged in the society of the future, which undoubtedly adds to their thinking. At present, there are relatively few studies on Marx’s and Engels’ ideas on love in the academy, so this paper is a critical entry point to explore Marx’s and Engels’ ideas on love.– The first chapter starts from the four dimensions of sex, reason, marriage and religion to clarify the development of modern Western love thought, while laying the foundation for Marx and Engels to carry out their love critique. The analysis of the main types of classical Western love thought in Chapter 1 shows that these views of love do not delve into love as a uniquely human social relationship, and therefore do not properly grasp its essential properties. Marx and Engels found that love has both natural and social properties, and used this as a basis for their fierce critique of Western love thought. Love, as an indispensable social relationship, has been inextricably linked to marriage, politics and art since the dawn of humanity. It is through four aspects that Marx and Engels also critique the modern Western idea of love, thus affirming the role of love in human society. Marx and Engels saw the phenomenon of false love and alienation as a real consequence of capitalist private ownership, and that the purification of love could only be achieved when private ownership disappeared and productivity became highly developed. And the conditions for purification can only be realised in a communist society. Although Marx and Engels’ theoretical elaboration of love did not result in a systematic text, it still had an impact on Marxists in the West. Fromm, Marcuse and Badiou, three Western Marxist scholars, explored the path from love to human emancipation as an inheritance and development of Marx and Engels’ critical thinking on love. Although the two great men were in different times from us, their critique of love in the modern West is very much a modern reference. Capitalist private ownership is a constant danger to the relationship between the sexes today, and it is only when private ownership is extinguished and society is freed from the shackles of economic factors that true love can be achieved. At the same time, Marx and Engels’ critique of the concept of love in capitalist society is a positive guide to the construction of socialist love values in China and deserves our profound reflection. [Translation: www.cnki.net, 2/2014]
Erich Fromm criticizes the common notion that >obedience is a virtue< and >disobedience is a vice.< To prove his point, he argues that obedience can be utilized by any unjust and inhumane authority for their evil ends. Not only that, but he also says that the history of Western civilization is replete with stories of the struggle for the affirmation of the human person as an individual entity through disobedience. Thus, Fromm argues that disobedience can be utilized for the liberation and evolution of the human person. Therefore, he affirms that disobedience can be considered a virtue.
Tibor Scitovsky’s >The Joyless Economy< (1976) is now regarded as a landmark publication in the combined fields of economics and psychology, with standard accounts of Scitovsky’s ideas emphasizing the influence of 1960s motivational psychology literature. While this encounter is all-important, Scitovsky’s ideas must at the same time be read in the context of the evolution of his critique of twentieth-century mass society. The present paper presents that critique and demonstrates its fundamental importance for Scitovsky’s diagnosis of an economy he termed >joyless<. Drawing upon his >Memoirs<, we show how Scitovsky’s ideas were initially shaped by the culture/aesthetics of his early years in Budapest, followed by his experiences of rising totalitarianism in interwar Europe, and further affected by his move to the consumption society of postwar America. The way he engaged with the writings of influential contemporary cultural commentators, including André Gide, Erich Fromm, Bertrand de Jouvenel, Lewis Mumford, and Bernard Rudofsky, was incisive. Close scrutiny also reveals resonances between Scitovsky’s cultural concerns and those of some of the Bloomsbury Group.
Ungleichheit ist Unfreiheit - über Ueli Mäder. Lobrede zur Verleihung des Erich-Fromm-Preises
(2022)
All of Louise Erdrich’s novels involve elements of religion, and almost every character, more or less, has something to do with religion. A multitude of impressive images of priests figure prominently in all her novels, among which >The Plague of Doves< (2008), >The Round House< (2012), >The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse< (2001) stand out. In each of these novels, pseudo-Father Cassidy, quasi-Father Travis, syncretic Father Damien constitute three typical images of priests. These characters not only reflect collision and fusion between Catholicism and Ojibwe spirituality to a certain extent, but also embody Louise Erdrich’s complex emotional attitude and humanistic religious view. In The Plague of Doves, Erdrich portrays a false Catholic priest Cassidy, characterized by alcoholism, rapacity, self-importance, impudence, inhumanity and absurdity. The appearance of Cassidy’s image is a sharp spear thrown by Erdrich at the Catholic church that imprisons and destroys human nature, and is also the reflection of her humanitarianism and stance against the church’s notion of sin. In >The Round House<, a marine-turned-Catholic priest Father Travis is no more than a spokesman of Catholicism and white interest groups. Under the guise of Catholicism, he has been eradicating American Indian culture, assimilating indigenous people, paralyzing their consciousness and plundering their resources. >The Round House< reveals the alienation and unease of the Ojibwe in the face of Father Travis’ religious colonization. However, in >The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse<, the author recounts Father Damien’s 87 years of missionary experience on the Little No Horse reservation. In the process of spreading Catholicism to the Ojibwe, Father Damien, disguised as a man by the farmer’s widow Agnes De Witt (formerly Sister Cecilia), is influenced by Ojibwe Shamanism and, as a result, merges it with Catholicism. This fusion realizes the equal negotiation between the >superior< Catholicism and >inferior< Shamanism, and also reflects the ability of the endangered Ojibwe spirituality to hijack Catholicism from within. In the process, Father Damian is changed from a cultural conqueror to a recipient and advocate of the inferior Ojibwe civilization, becoming its loyal friend. The two religious civilizations that have been in conflict and struggle are balanced within Father Damien’s perspective. Here, the author does not advocate an either-or religious posture, but the coexistence of the two religions to jointly construct the religious identity and psychology of the natives. This thesis, based on Ludwig Andreas Feuerbach’s >religion of love< and Erich Fromm’s humanistic religious thought, as well as post-colonial theory, expounds on the author’s humanitarian religious view from the perspective of the above-mentioned three priests. Comparing and contrasting these three typical priest images together, the thesis attempts to reach the conclusion that neither pseudo-Father Cassidy, with his subversion of classic priest images, nor quasi-Father Travis, who represents Erdrich’s negation of these orthodox images, is Louise Erdrich’s idealized priest image but rather the syncretic Father Damien instead, regardless of her female identity, hybridized religions and secularity, whose humanitarian trait brings forth a feeling of well-being in the Ojibwe people. [www.cnki.net, 1/2023]
In a comparative study of texts selected for their insights and occasional blind spots regarding fascist experiments of the past 100 years, Delogu examines fascism’s exploitation of fear (of change, loss, and death), disruption, and extreme inequality. The book offers an accessible and persuasive argument linking fascist authoritarianism, also called “right-wing populism,” to certain underlying conditions, such as a rise in us-versus-them thinking; distrust or simple apathy regarding democratic institutions, norms, and results; the vulnerabilities that result from extreme inequality (economic, social, racial); and addictions and codependency. Stressful events, such as a pandemic, an environmental disaster, or deep recession aggravate these harmful factors and make the fascist temptation, including the use of violence, almost irresistible. Delogu’s distinctive examination of texts that plumb the unconscious reveal linkages between actions and unavowable motives that purely historical and theoretical studies of fascism leave out.
O presente artigo tem por objeto o tratamento dado por Erich Fromm e Max Horkheimer ao fenômeno da integração social do proletariado. Além dos textos de ambos os autores, o artigo recorre às pesquisas empíricas conduzidas no início da década de 1930, no âmbito do Instituto de Pesquisa Social de Frankfurt. Mais especificamente, é analisada a pesquisa sobre a >estrutura de caráter< de trabalhadores alemães, coordenada por Erich Fromm, sendo também considerados os principais resultados das pesquisas que tinham por objeto as mudanças na sexualidade e na estrutura de autoridade da família europeia da época. Mostra-se como Horkheimer recorreu a conceitos centrais do pensamento de Marx ao examinar os temas dessas pesquisas, resultando em uma perspectiva capaz de apreender as mudanças sociais em curso.
The Pathology of Normalcy and Consensual Validation: Thinking Beyond Neoliberalism with Erich Fromm
(2022)
Think of the ease in which one can acquire food and clothing today. Consider the ubiquitous availability of machines that save us hours of boring labour. For the average person in the global core, it is obvious: the material standard of living has increased exponentially since the industrial-capitalist revolution. Although we may celebrate these achievements it is also clear that such rampant capitalist development has created many horrific ‘negative externalities’.
De acordo com o psicanalista alemão Erich Fromm (1900-1980), a espiritualidade deve ser entendida como uma atitude que visa à ruptura do egocentrismo, a um sair de si mesmo pautado pelo amor à vida, imbuído de sentido existencial e defensor da valorização da diversidade humana. No que tange à educação, Fromm pontua que o ato de ensinar é capaz de despertar as potencialidades do ser do educando, potencialidades essas que podem estar adormecidas em seu interior e que necessitam de alguns estímulos para que sejam despertadas. Neste viés, este artigo objetiva explicitar e analisar aspectos de interface entre a espiritualidade humanista e a educação a partir dos escritos de Erich Fromm, salientando que o processo educacional também deve abarcar a dimensão espiritual do indivíduo. Como recurso metodológico, propomos realizar uma análise teórico-bibliográfica das seguintes obras: Análise do homem, O coração do homem, Rever Freud e Ter ou ser?, todas de autoria de Erich Fromm, além de recorrer a trabalhos de comentadores do psicanalista humanista. Por fim, pretendemos evidenciar que o cultivo da sabedoria interior é um aspecto essencial para o aperfeiçoamento do ser do educando, à medida que promove o despertar da consciência biófila.
While Kingsley Amis‘s novel >Lucky Jim< shows the anger and disillusionment of 1950s British youth, it also contains Amis’s still-positive attitude towards British young people like himself who are in a predicament. Focusing on the two core concepts of Fromm’s theory of freedom, negative freedom and positive freedom, written within the same historical period as Kingsley Amis’s >Lucky Jim< (1954) and Jim’s transcendence from negative freedom to positive freedom as the research object, this thesis deeply interprets the disillusionment, awakening and self-reconstruction in Jim’s journey to true freedom.– The study found that: the social culture, hypocritical academic environment, weird interpersonal relationships, and the fettered and immature personality of Jim himself all induce him to pursue a negative freedom through by escaping responsibility and rebelling against middle-class culture and social traditions traditionally enjoyed by postwar capitalist society. However, these radical actions, which Fromm called >negative freedom<, did not bring Jim spiritual relief, but brought him alienation and disillusion. The alienation and disillusion brought about by Jim’s pursuit of negative freedom, which makes Jim wake up from his negative freedom and seek a new way of freedom. Ultimately, Jim’s pursuing for freedom transforms from negative freedom to positive freedom through spontaneous love for Christine and a series of creative activities to regain his true self and a sense of belonging. This self-reconstruction gives Jim the courage to face his destiny and choose to reconnect with the outside world and enjoy healthy human relationships. And with the favorable changes of the external political, economic and cultural environment, Jim finally frees himself from the sufferings of his negative freedom, and finds the true path to positive freedom. This study attempts to show that neither avoiding responsibility nor seeking one’s psychological escape through rebellion can solve the survival dilemma suffered under the influence of negative freedom. And only when we can live and love spontaneously in a positive way, and actively establish a close connection with the world, can we get out of the predicament and obtain true freedom. [Translation: www.cnki.net, 5/2023]
The Social Unconscious: The Psychoanalytic Dimension of Fromm’s Cultural View [社会无意识:弗洛姆文化观的精神分析维度]
(2022)
[Chinese abstract not available.] The social unconscious is a core concept in Erich Fromm’s cultural view. By comparing the social unconscious with Freud’s the unconscious, Marx’s social consciousness and Jung’s collective unconscious respectively, this article aims to study the psychoanalytic dimension of Fromm’s cultural view. For Fromm, the social unconscious is the product of cultural power suppression; cultural power shapes the spiritual space formed by consciousness and the unconscious; the social unconscious exists in societies dominated by cultural power. This shows that from the microscopic perspective of psychoanalysis, Fromm has gained an insight into the suppression and manipulation of the social unconscious by the ubiquitous cultural power. This insight not only deepens the theory of cultural studies, but also enriches and develops the related theoretical connotations of Marxist theory. [Translation: www.cnki.net, 9/2022]
Critical Theory has traditionally been interested in engaging classical psychoanalysis rather than addressing postclassical thought. For the first time, this volume brings Critical Theory into proper dialogue with modern developments in the psychoanalytic movement and covers a broad range of topics in contemporary society that revisit the Frankfurt School and its contributions to psychoanalytic social critique. Theoretical, clinical, and applied investigations in social pathology are explored in relation to new directions in critical cultural discourse from a variety of psychoanalytic perspectives. In this volume, internationally acclaimed social political theorists, philosophers, psychoanalysts, cultural critics, and scholars of humanities examine contemporary issues in social critique that address a myriad of topics.
Shakespeare’s great play King Lear traces the downfall of a man who retired without sufficient insight into the impact of his decision. The author uses the play to frame questions about the course of her own retirement from psychoanalytic practice, on May 31, 2019. How might the decision to retire change the analyst’s sense of her own identity, and her patients’ perceptions of who she really is? What are some of the challenges of living in retirement, without the structure and purpose an analytic practice provides?
Vorwort
(2022)
Das Argument, der Mensch würde alle Arbeit fallenlassen, wenn nicht sein Überleben davon abhinge, hat bis heute überdauert. Nicht nur als Argument gegen kommunistische oder sozialistische Gesellschaftstheorien, sondern auch in aktuellen Debatten beispielsweise um die Verkürzung von Arbeitszeiten oder die Einführung eines bedingungslosen Grundeinkommens, immer wieder bemühen Kritiker die Annahme, Menschen wären von Natur aus faul und müssten zur Arbeit motiviert werden. Im Gegensatz zu dem Axiom der angeborenen Faulheit steht die Theorie des Psychoanalytikers und Sozialphilosophen Erich Fromm. Er versucht zu belegen, dass Faulheit nur eine Konsequenz aus der kapitalistischen Produktionsweise ist und sie als Symptom einer kranken Gesellschaft betrachtet werden muss. Diese Arbeit widmet sich, vor allem auf der Grundlage seiner Essays >Ist der Mensch von Natur aus faul?< und >Psychologische Aspekte zur Frage eines garantierten Einkommens für alle<, der Frage, inwieweit die Behauptungen wahr sind, dass eine finanzielle Absicherung der Existenz zu vermehrter Faulheit unter den Menschen führt. [Weltbild.ch]
Inwiefern eignet sich Erich Fromms Entwurf einer humanistischen Ethik für den Ethikunterricht der Sekundarstufe II? Dieser Frage soll in der vorliegenden Arbeit nachgegangen werden. Die Untersuchung wird sich in drei Schritte unterteilen. Im ersten Teil der Arbeit wird eine Untersuchung des Gegenstands der Psychologie in der Geschichte der Philosophie durchgeführt. Hierbei soll anhand einer Auswahl von Philosophen dargestellt werden, wie sich im Laufe der Jahrhunderte die Psychologie als eigenständige Wissenschaft aus den Sphären der Philosophie emanzipierte. Ein besonderer Fokus wird hierbei auf Sigmund Freuds Psychoanalyse liegen. Im zweiten Teil der Arbeit wird daraufhin untersucht, wie die Erkenntnisse der Psychologie von der Philosophie genutzt wurden, um mit Hilfe dieser Erkenntnisse eigene ethische Theorien zu entwickeln. Hierbei soll Erich Fromms Ansatz demjenigen von John Dewey gegenübergestellt werden. Beide nutzten die Erkenntnisse der Psychoanalyse und der Psychologie aus unterschiedlichen Bereichen und mit unterschiedlichen Motiven. Diese Gegenüberstellung eignet sich insofern, dass sie die Individualität beider Ansätze verdeutlicht und die Vielfältigkeit der Interdisziplinarität aus Psychologie und Philosophie illustriert. Im dritten und letzten Teil der Arbeit soll anschliessend untersucht werden, warum gerade Erich Fromms Ansatz als geeignetes Unterrichtsthema für den Ethikunterricht der Sekundarstufe II erscheint. Diese didaktische Untersuchung läuft in drei Schritten ab: Zunächst wird anhand Fromms eigener Aussagen zu Pädagogik und Erziehung eine psychoanalytische Perspektive eingenommen, die vor allem Fromms Untersuchungen zum (Un-)Gehorsam und zur Autorität in den Blick nimmt. Im zweiten Schritt soll anhand Wolfgang Klafkis Theorie der kategorialen Bildung eine allgemeindidaktische Untersuchung der humanistischen Ethik Fromms stattfinden. Dies soll dazu beitragen, den Blick vom Unterrichtsgegenstand hin zu den Schüler*innen zu lenken, vor allem aber das Potential einer wechselseitigen Erschliessung von Subjekt und Objekt im Sinne Klafkis zu analysieren. Im letzten Schritt wird abschliessend erörtert, wie Ekkehard Martens Philosophiedidaktik mit Erich Fromms Ansatz harmoniert. Der Fokus liegt hierbei auf Martens Definition von Philosophie, die er vor allem als Tätigkeit und Kulturtechnik versteht. All dies soll schliesslich dazu beitragen, die Frage nach einer Eignung von Fromms Ansatz für den Ethikunterricht zu beantworten. [Weltbild Verlag, Schweiz]
The concept of this qualification work is to look at the question of human nature. This subject is narrowed down to an assumption that the human nature is not a solid or given substance but rather a question that needs to be answered. This interpretation is then discussed from a point of view of three thinkers. Those are: Erich Fromm, Mircea Eliade and Carl Gustav Jung, chronologically in this order. Except the original presumption ideas of these men differ quite noticeably, or at least between the two main ones, who are Jung and Fromm. These differences are then presented throughout this work. Ideas of Mircea Eliade are used as a thematic bridge to fill the gap between the two at first seemingly incompatible islands Carl Gustav Jung and Erich Fromm. At the end, an attempt to find certain similarities between the main characters is submitted.
As a famous contemporary philosophical theorist, psychoanalyst and social activist, Fromm has attracted much attention for his outstanding humanistic theoretical interest and profound social criticism. Since the 1980s, the research on Fromm’s theory has gradually emerged in Chinese academic circles, and some influential theoretical results have been produced. Through literature review, it is found that domestic and foreign researches are more focused on Fromm’s Theory of human nature, alienation theory, freedom theory, Social character theory and unconscious theory, etc, while the systematic and overall research on Fromm’s Sane social theory is less. Based on this, this paper attempts to conduct a more systematic study of Fromm’s sane society theory. This paper mainly conducts research from the following four aspects: First, to sort out the background and ideological origin of Fromm’s sane society theory. Second, analyze the logical structure of Fromm’s sane society theory, and study the concepts and connotations of >Sane man< and >Sane society< proposed by Fromm. Third, research and analyze the theoretical value and its theoretical limitations of Fromm’s sane society theory. Fourth, to summarizes the contemporary enlightenment of Fromm’s Sane Society theory. Through research, the author believes that although Fromm’s sane society theory is far from Marxist anthropology, it still has certain theoretical value and reference function. In particular, his profound critique of the alienation phenomenon of capital society, can provide a certain theoretical reference for our correct understanding of capital modernity. [Translation: www.cnki.net, 1/2023]
more universal psychological dynamics. If creative writing is interesting in itself, its failure can be fascinating. It is not unusual for some successful authors to find themselves unable to write. They suffer what is commonly known has >writer’s block,< a term coined by the psychoanalyst Edmund Bergler in his seminal study of blocked writers in the 1940s and 50s. This paper illustrates how the psychoanalytic study of >writer’s block< can go way beyond Bergler’s theorization. A writer who cannot write is also someone experiencing inner conflict, a self not living up to its expectations, a person that has lost the ability to play. Freudian, ego psychology, and object relations theory are some of the theoretical lenses used to look at >writer’s block,< and to show how this circumscribed phenomenon can shed light on more common struggles and muddles. A brief narration of the author’s experience of writer’s block is presented as an illustration of the parallels between psychoanalysis and writing, especially regarding the importance and use of reverie.
Artikel ini membahas perspektif Erich Fromm terkait membangun relasi cinta kepada oranglain sebagai citra diri >ngelmu<. Masalah yang muncul dalam artikel ini adalah: bagaimana tata laku >ngelmu< direpresentasikan dengan cinta kepada oranglain; serta bagaimana >ngelmu< terikat dengan perilaku membangun cinta kepada oranglain. Berdasarkan permasalahan tersebut, kemudian analisis kritisnya dibangun berdasarkan konsep cinta universal yang dikemukakan oleh Erich Fromm, yakni cinta aktif kepada sang Pencipta, alam ciptaan Nya, dan kepada sesamanya manusia. Metode yang dilakukan adalah berdasakan kajian terhadap pandangan Erich Fromm melalui pemahamannya tentang cinta universal. Artikel ini ingin menunjukkan keyakinan bahwa cinta universal yang merujuk pada kebutuhan untuk membangun cinta kepada oranglain menjadi bagian penting yang berdampak langsung pada >ngelmu< itu sendiri.
Frankfurt School Critical Theory and the Persistence of Authoritarian Populism in the United States
(2022)
In this article, I interpret Hezbollah’s birth and role in Lebanon’s sociopolitical life from a group and family psychoanalytic perspective. In particular, I examine whether Hezbollah, as one of Lebanon’s >children,< can be seen as the >designated patient< and >symptom< of its large family, nation-state >incestual< dynamics and complicated separation and individuation process. As a designated patient, Hezbollah performs the double-sided function of gluing its fragmented nation-state together while carrying the weight of being its breaking force. In this logic, Hezbollah’s paradoxical role in the Lebanese nation-state family would be similar to that of a >scapegoat/Messiah,< who carries both the family’s incestual dynamics and internal tensions and its hope for a solid and cohesive nation-state identity. To build a cohesive nation-state identity, Hezbollah’s ideology acts as a prosthesis for Lebanon’s narcissistic fragility, which replenishes the narcissistic hemorrhage of its perforated bodily and psychic envelopes. I also reflect on whether a national mediation process informed by a group psychoanalytic approach could help Lebanon constitute a more functional ego-nation-state and thus renounce the need for a designated patient. Hezbollah would be better capable of giving up its pathological ideological position.