Chapter 8: Erich Fromm

Erich Fromm emphasized the influence of sociobiological factors, history, economics, and class
structure. In addition, Fromm also believed that humanity's separation from the natural world
has produced feelings of loneliness and isolation, a condition called basic anxiety.

Fromm’s Basic Assumptions

i. According to Fromm, humans have no powerful instincts to adapt in the changing world,
however what they have is their ability to reason, and believed that humans, unlike other
animals, have been “torn away” from their prehistoric union with nature, a condition called
human dilemma. ii. Existential Dichotomies (a) Between Life and Death (b) Humans are
capable of conceptualizing the goal of complete self-realization, but we also are aware that life
is too short to reach that goal (c) People are ultimately alone, yet we cannot tolerate isolation

Human Needs
Fromm contended that one important difference between mentally healthy individuals and
neurotic or insane ones is that healthy people find answers to their existence that more
completely correspond to their total human needs. In other words, healthy individuals are better
able to find ways of reuniting to the world by productively solving the human needs, and are
strongly driven to fulfill them in some way or another, either positively or negatively. (i)
Relatedness – the drive for union with another person, Fromm postulated three basic ways to
relate to the world: (1) submission, a person can submit to another person to become one with
the world; (2) power, it is the domineering people that seeks submissive partner to relate with
others; (3) love, which a person can become united with the world, and at the same time,
achieve individuality and integrity.

(ii) Transcendence – an urge to rise above a passive and accidental existence and into the
realm of purposefulness and freedom. (iii) Rootedness – the need to establish roots or to feel at
home again in the world; influence of mother’s role. (iv) Sense of Identity – the capacity to be
aware of ourselves as a separate entity. (v) Frame of Orientation – to make their way through
the world; also refers to goals or destinations.

The Burden of Freedom

Humans have been torn from nature, yet they remain part of the natural world, subject to the
same physical limitations as other animals. On both a social and an individual level, this burden
of freedom results in basic anxiety, the feeling of being alone in the world. (i) Mechanisms of
Escape- an attempt to flee from freedom through a variety of escape mechanisms because of
basic anxiety produces a frightening sense of isolation and loneliness. Fromm identified three
primary mechanisms of escape; authoritarianism, destructiveness, and conformity. (a)
Authoritarianism is an inclination to give up one's own independence and fuse one's self with
someone or something outside of oneself in order to gain the power that the individual lacks.
The need to unite with a powerful partner can take one of two forms; masochism or sadism.

Masochism is the result from basic feelings of powerlessness, weakness, and inferiority and is
aimed at joining the self to a more powerful person or institution. Sadism is aimed at reducing
basic anxiety through achieving unity with another person. Three kinds of sadistic tendencies;
(1) need to make others dependent on oneself and to gain power over those who are weak (2)
the compulsion to exploit others, to take advantage of them, and to use them for one’s benefit
(3) sadistic tendency is the desire to see others suffer, either physically or psychologically. (b)
Destructiveness is destroying people and objects, a person attempts to restore lost feelings of
power. (c) Conformity is to escape from a sense of aloneness and isolation by giving up their
individuality and becoming whatever other people desire them to be (ii) Positive Freedom is that
people can attain this kind of freedom by a spontaneous and full expression of both their rational
and their emotional potentialities.

Character Orientations
Fromm believed that personality is reflected in one’s character orientation, that is, a person’s
relatively permanent way of relating to people and things, also people can relate to things and to
people either non productive or productively. (i) Nonproductive Orientations (a) Receptive feels
that the source of all good lies outside themselves and that the only way they can relate to the
world is to receive things, including love, knowledge, and material possessions. (b) Exploitative
is the source of all good is outside themselves; prefer to steal rather than create. (c) Hoarding
seeks to save which they have already obtained; hold everything inside, do not let go of
anything (d) Marketing see themselves as commodities, with their personal value dependent on
their exchange value, that is, their ability to sell themselves. (ii) Productive Orientation has three
dimensions; working, loving, and reasoning (a) Productive work is a healthy individual who
works toward positive freedom and a continuing realization of their potential. (b) Productive
love is characterized by the four qualities of love discussed: care, responsibility, respect, and
knowledge. (c) Biophilia is a passionate love of life and all that is alive. Biophilic people desire to
further all life and are concerned with the growth and development of themselves as well as
others. (d) Productive Thinking cannot be separated from productive work and love; motivated
by a concerned interest in another person or object

Personality Disorders
(i) Necrophilia - means love of death and usually refers to a sexual perversion in which a person
desires sexual contact with a corpse. (ii) Malignant Narcissism – is in narcissism impedes the
perception of reality so that everything belonging to a narcissistic person is highly valued and
everything belonging to another is devalued, Preoccupation with one’s body often leads to
hypochondriasis, or an obsessive attention to one’s health. (iii) Incestuous Symbiosis- An
extreme dependence on the mother or mother surrogate, and it is an exaggerated form of the
more common and more benign mother fixation. (a) Syndrome of decay is a pathologic
individual who possesses all three personality disorders; necrophilia, malignant narcissism, and
incestuous symbiosis (b) Syndrome of growth is made up of the opposite qualities: biophilia,
love, and positive freedom.

Psychotherapy
He believed that the aim of therapy is for patients to come to know themselves. Without
knowledge of ourselves, we cannot know any other person or thing. Fromm believed that
patients come to therapy seeking satisfaction of their basic human needs—relatedness,
transcendence, rootedness, a sense of identity, and a frame of orientation. Therefore, therapy
should be built on a personal relationship between therapist and patient. Because accurate
communication is essential to therapeutic growth, the therapist must relate “as one human being
to another with utter concentration and utter sincerity”. In this spirit of relatedness, the patient
will once again feel at one with another person. As part of his attempt to achieve shared
communication. Fromm asked patients to reveal their dreams. He believed that dreams, as well
as fairy tales and myths, are expressed in symbolic language—the only universal language
humans have developed (Fromm, 1951). Because dreams have meaning beyond the individual
dreamer, Fromm would ask for the patient`s associations to the dream material. Not all dream
symbols, however, are universal; some are accidental and depend on the dreamer`s mood
before going to sleep; others are regional or national and depend on climate, geography, and
dialect. Many symbols have several meanings because of the variety of experiences that are
connected with them. Similarly, the sun may represent a threat to desert people, but growth and
life to people in cold climates. Fromm (1963) believed that therapists should not try to be too
scientific in understanding a patient. Only with the attitude of relatedness can another person be
truly understood. The therapist should not view the patient as an illness or a thing but as a
person with the same human needs that all people possess.

Fromm’s Method of Investigation

Fromm collected information on human personality through a variety of sources, such as
psychoanalysis, cultural anthropology, and psycho-historical analysis. This section provides a
brief overview of Fromm's anthropological research into the life of a Mexican village, as well as
his psychobiographical analysis of the personality of Adolf Hitler.

Social Character in a Mexican Village

Beginning in the late 1950s and extending into the mid-1960s, Fromm and a group of
psychologists, psychoanalysts, anthropologists, physicians, and statisticians studied social
character in Chiconcuac, a Mexican village about 50 miles south of Mexico City. The team
interviewed every adult and half the children in this isolated farming village of 162 households
and about 800 inhabitants. The people of the village were mostly farmers, earning a living from
small plots of fertile land. After living among the villagers and gaining their acceptance, the
research team employed an assortment of techniques designed to answer this and other
questions. Fromm believed that the marketing character was a product of modern commerce
and that it is most likely to exist in societies where trade is no longer personal and where people
regard themselves as commodities.
Not surprisingly, the research team found that the marketing orientation did not exist among
these peasant villagers. However, the researchers did find evidence for several other character
types, the most common of which was the nonproductive-receptive type. People of this
orientation tended to look up to others and devoted much energy in trying to please those whom
they regarded as superiors. The second most frequently found personality type was the
productive hoarding character. People of this type were hardworking, productive, and
independent. The nonproductive-exploitative personality was identified as a third character
orientation. Men of this type were most likely to get into knife or pistol fights, whereas the
women tended to be malicious gossip mongers. In general, Fromm and Maccoby (1970)
reported a remarkable similarity between character orientations in this Mexican village and the
theoretical orientations Fromm had suggested some years earlier.
A Psychohistorical Study of Hitler
Following Freud, Fromm tested ancient files so as to carve a mental portrait of a distinguished
person, a method known as psychohistory or psychobiography. Fromm appeared Hitler because
the world`s maximum conspicuous instance of someone with the syndrome of decay, owning a
aggregate of necrophilia, malignant narcissism, and incestuous symbiosis. He turned into
interested in dying and destruction; narrowly targeted on self-interests; and pushed through an
incestuous devotion to the Germanic “race,” being fanatically committed to stopping its blood
from being polluted through Jews and other “non-Aryans.” Unlike a few psychoanalysts who
appear simplest to early formative years for clues to grownup personality, Fromm believed that
every degree of improvement is vital and that not anything in Hitler's adolescence bent him
unavoidably closer to the syndrome of decay.

As a child, Hitler turned into truly spoiled through his mother, however her indulgence was no
longer the reason for his later pathology. His narcissism ignited a burning ardor for greatness as
an artist or architect, however fact introduced him failure after failure in this area. “Each failure
triggered a graver wound to his narcissism and a deeper humiliation than the preceding one”.
As his screw ups grew in number, he became greater worried in his myth world, greater envious
of others, greater inspired for revenge, and greater necrophilic. Hitler`s horrible consciousness
of his failure as an artist turned into blunted through the outbreak of World War I. His fierce
ambition ought to now be channeled into being a super struggle fair hero preventing for his
homeland. Although he turned into no superhero, he turned into a responsible, disciplined, and
dutiful soldier. After the struggle, however, he experienced greater failure.

The concept of necrophilia is not limited to behavior alone; it permeates a person's entire
personality. Adolf Hitler's necrophilia was evident in his obsession with the destruction of
structures, his orders to exterminate "unfit people", his apathy, and his extermination of millions
of Jewish victims. Hitler also exhibited a malignant narcissism, his relationships with women
lacking in love and affection; he appeared to use them solely for personal gratification,
particularly for voyeuristic gratification. Fromm's analysis further suggests that Hitler had an
incestuous symbiotic relationship, fueled by his passionate devotion to the Germanic "race". In
line with this, Hitler was also sadomasochistic and withdrawn, and lacked feelings of true love or
compassion. Despite these characteristics, however, Fromm argued that they did not make
Hitler a psychopath.
Related Research
Erich Fromm’s sociological approach to personality psychology, which emphasizes
estrangement from culture and nature, has not generated much empirical research.
Nevertheless, these broad themes are relevant to personality psychology in that they shape the
way in which we present ourselves socially, as well as the impact of estrangement on
well-being. Furthermore, Fromm's theories on authoritarianism have also been the subject of
recent empirical research into the relationship between fear and authoritarian attitudes. While
Fromm's theories are stimulating and insightful, they have not yielded much empirical research.

Testing the Assumptions of Fromm’s Marketing Character

In Fromm’s (1955) The Sane Society, he criticized western cultures for promoting the marketing
character orientation: selling and selling, and seeing everything as an object to be bought or
sold. This is reflected in the prevalence of social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram,
Pinterest, and others, where people seek to share their best experiences and assets rather than
who they really are.

In a 2001 study in Australia, Shaun Saunders (author) and Don Munro (author, co-author, and
co-author) looked at whether the marketing character of Fromm was more common in cultures
that emphasized individualism. Saunders and Munro developed a 35-item (SCOI) scale that
included statements like “It doesn’t matter what some things cost as long as they look good” and
“Materialism does not matter as long as it’s materialistic.” They found that SCOI scores
correlated positively with conformity and authoritarianism, as well as with depression, while
scores on materialism did not correlate positively with biophilia or environmentalism.

They found that SCOI scores were more strongly associated with the vertical aspect of
individualism, as opposed to the horizontal aspect, indicating that a higher degree of marketing
character orientation might be associated with a focus on hierarchy rather than individualism.
Therefore, it appears that Fromm’s marketing character is not necessarily linked to individualist
values, but rather to whether or not hierarchies and income inequality are prevalent in a
consumerist society.

Estrangement From Culture and Well-Being

Fromm's personality theory is all about estrangement, where people feel cut off from their
natural surroundings and cut off from each other. This is because of the material wealth that
capitalism has given us, which has made us feel so free that we don't know how to handle
ourselves. The problem with this is that too much freedom can lead to anxiety and isolation.
Mark Bernard and colleagues tested this theory in a study of undergraduate students in the UK.
They looked at 72 people who had completed a questionnaire about their values and what they
saw as different from society. The results showed that the more people said they were "different"
from their culture, the more they were likely to feel "estranged" and "alienated". The researchers
also looked at whether having an estrangement or estrangement was linked to an increase in
anxiety and depression, which was also measured by the same participants who had completed
a self-report measure of values discrepancies. These findings back up Fromm's theories that
modern society gives us lots of benefits, but it also leads to alienation and anxiety. To sum up,
Fromm’s theory of personality stresses how important it is to be free and unique, but when those
things cause you to feel disconnected from your family and friends, it can really make you feel
like you’re on your own.

Authoritarianism and Fear

The theory of freedom developed by Fromm is based on the concept that freedom is a source of
fear, and individuals attempt to escape from it through mechanisms such as authoritarianism,
destruction or conformity in order to alleviate the fear of confinement. After the publication of
Fromm's Escape from Freedom, the concept of the authoritarian escape mechanism became
increasingly popular among scholars. Fromm's theory suggests that when individuals are afraid
and uncertain, they are drawn to absolute answers and certainties, even if they involve
authoritarian dictators. Corey Butler's (2009) work has attempted to re-examine the relationship
between Fear and Autarchy. Adorno's (1950) theory of authoritarianism is based on the idea
that a fear of the interpersonal world is the result of overly strict parenting in childhood.

However, Butler's work concurs with Fromm's view that a sense of powerlessness caused by
isolation in modern, free society leads to authoritarian obedience. Sociological research has
demonstrated that groups tend to gravitate towards authoritarianism when faced with economic
or social difficulties, as they are more likely to prefer order and security. Fromm's theory states
that political and sociological threats, rather than personal ones, are the most closely linked to
authoritarianism. Butler's hypothesis suggests that certain cultural influences lead to a state of
fear, which in turn creates the incentive for an authoritarian system of belief. Deviation and
social disorder are particularly threatening to these individuals, who have adopted a more
traditional and limited lifestyle.
In times of uncertainty, such as in Italy and the United States, political figures such as Silvio
Bertolini and Donald Trump appeal to voters through the promise of absolute solutions and
assurance. Bertolini and Trump, who presented themselves as the only savior of a nation in peril
from liberal influences, sought to assuage voters' concerns by offering absolute solutions to
complex global issues. It is essential to educate ourselves on the risks of succumbing to
charismatic leaders who promise easy solutions to complex problems.

Critique of Fromm
Fromm is a well-known personality theorist who has written extensively on a variety of topics,
such as international politics, Bible prophecy, aging, Karl Marx, Adolf Hitler, Sigmund Freud, and
Jesus Christ. His theories focus on the nature of human nature and his approach to constructing
them is global in scope. Despite his great popularity, his theories are not as well-known as they
were fifty years ago. His theory is considered to be one of the least empirically valid theories.
His vague and imprecise terms make it difficult to implement his ideas, making them impervious
to research. Furthermore, his theory is too metaphysical to be falsified or verified, and its scope
is too broad to predict or verify findings. His writings are intended to stimulate productive
thought, but do not offer much practical guidance for researchers and therapists. The theory is
internally consistent, yet lacks a structured vocabulary, operationally delineated terms, and a
broad scope. Furthermore, the lack of simplicity and unity is due to Fromm's unwillingness to
abandon earlier ideas or relate them accurately to later ideas. Consequently, his theory scores
low on the principle of parsimony.

Concept of Humanity
Erich Fromm's personality theory emphasizes the singularity of humanity, arguing that humans
are the only species that have developed a combination of limited instinctive abilities and
maximum brain development. He posited that humanity is the primate that emerged at a stage
of evolution when instinctive determinism has reached its minimum level and the brain has
reached its maximum level. Fromm argued that humans require a frame of focus and an object
of commitment in order to survive, but they also face fundamental feelings of distress, isolation,
and helplessness. Fromm was both a pessimist and an optimist, believing that the majority of
people do not experience positive freedom and modern capitalism is the cause of many
people's sense of loneliness. However, he was optimistic that some people will be able to
reunite and reach their full potential, and that humanity can be achieved through the acquisition
of identity, positive liberty, and individual growth within a capitalist society.
Fromm held a moderate position on the debate between free choice and determinism,
maintaining that individuals have a tendency to act in accordance with their free will, but their
capacity to reason allows them to actively shape their destiny. He also slightly favoured
teleology, arguing that humans continually seek a frame of reference to organize their lives.
Fromm placed greater emphasis on conscious motivations and self-reflection, asserting that
humans were the only animal capable of reasoning, envisioning the future, and actively
pursuing self-directed objectives. He also placed greater emphasis on the influence of history,
culture and society rather than biology.