Erich Fromm

[Valkyrie]

Anybody read anything by Fromm?

I have just finished "Man for Himself - an inquiry into the Psychology of Ethics" Being an ethics obsessed freak, I have read almost every philosophical treatise on the subject and this by far the most enlightening. Much better than Freud's penis envy to explain man's dissassociation with himself and the world.

Other books by Fromm worth taking a look at is his "Marx's concept of man" and "Escape From Freedom."




(Edited by Paris at 7:06 am on Mar. 29, 2002)

[SA160]

This guy (Fromm) is one of the most right wing asshole to come out of Canada. He's a libertarian-cum-Reform-party, a friend of Conrad Black and the Frasier and Cato institutes, and he has been influential in the propaganda effort through the medias for the right of the last few years in Ontario. Mind you, know your ennemies.

Just reread your post and I think we're talking of different guys. Sorry about the inconvenience.

(Edited by SA160 at 12:35 pm on Mar. 27, 2002)

[Valkyrie]

Yes, this is a different Fromm; this one is a german-socialist sociologist, simpatico to Marx and corraborative of his theories, though also at times offering a critical analysis of Marx's emphasis of production over socio-variables and human inconsistancies.

Here's a few interesting pieces:

a letter to Dobrenkov
http://www.erichfromm.de/lib_1/2000c-e.html

http://www.erichfromm.de/lib_2/lio03.html


(Edited by Paris at 6:47 am on Mar. 29, 2002)

[Maaja]

I know a Fromm's book *Art of love* (I am not sure how it's name is in English). It was quite good. Also a book which name I don't remember anymore but which was about self-confidence and illusions.

[Valkyrie]

Maaja: Fromm's other book is called "Beyond the Chain of Illusions: My encounter with Marx and Freud." I haven't read those just yet.

What do you think of him, Maaja?

Fromm was part of the first generation of philosophers and social critics along with Adorno, Horkheimer and Marcuse associatated with the Frankfurt School of Critical Theory. They attempt to treat Marxism in a less dogmatic way, integrating his moral philosophy (which Marx seemed to abandon in his earlier days in lieu of science,) with practical theory and practice to empower people to break the yoke of oppression and to achieve emancipation from social ills.

[Maaja]

What I think about Erich Fromm? I liked his book about the art of loving. I agree with him in this point that love is for giving not for getting, at the same time I didn't pay a lot of attention to the paragraphs about God. I don't agree always with him but he definitely is interesting to read!