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The Lives of Erich Fromm: Love's Prophet
Erich Fromm was a political activist, psychologist, psychoanalyst, philosopher, and one of the most important intellectuals of the twentieth century. Known for his theories of personality and political insight, Fromm dissected the sadomasochistic appeal of brutal dictators while also eloquently championing love―which, he insisted, was nothing if it did not involve joyful contact with others and humanity at large. Admired all over the world, Fromm continues to inspire with his message of universal brotherhood and quest for lasting peace.
The first systematic study of Fromm's influences and achievements, this biography revisits the thinker's most important works, especially Escape from Freedom and The Art of Loving , which conveyed important and complex ideas to millions of readers. The volume recounts Fromm's political activism as a founder and major funder of Amnesty International, the National Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy, and other peace groups. Consulting rare archival materials across the globe, Lawrence J. Friedman reveals Fromm's support for anti-Stalinist democratic movements in Central and Eastern Europe and his efforts to revitalize American democracy. For the first time, readers learn about Fromm's direct contact with high officials in the American government on matters of war and peace while accessing a deeper understanding of his conceptual differences with Freud, his rapport with Neo-Freudians like Karen Horney and Harry Stack Sullivan, and his association with innovative artists, public intellectuals, and world leaders. Friedman elucidates Fromm's key intellectual contributions, especially his innovative concept of "social character," in which social institutions and practices shape the inner psyche, and he clarifies Fromm's conception of love as an acquired skill. Taking full stock of the thinker's historical and global accomplishments, Friedman portrays a man of immense authenticity and spirituality who made life in the twentieth century more humane than it might have been.
The first systematic study of Fromm's influences and achievements, this biography revisits the thinker's most important works, especially Escape from Freedom and The Art of Loving , which conveyed important and complex ideas to millions of readers. The volume recounts Fromm's political activism as a founder and major funder of Amnesty International, the National Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy, and other peace groups. Consulting rare archival materials across the globe, Lawrence J. Friedman reveals Fromm's support for anti-Stalinist democratic movements in Central and Eastern Europe and his efforts to revitalize American democracy. For the first time, readers learn about Fromm's direct contact with high officials in the American government on matters of war and peace while accessing a deeper understanding of his conceptual differences with Freud, his rapport with Neo-Freudians like Karen Horney and Harry Stack Sullivan, and his association with innovative artists, public intellectuals, and world leaders. Friedman elucidates Fromm's key intellectual contributions, especially his innovative concept of "social character," in which social institutions and practices shape the inner psyche, and he clarifies Fromm's conception of love as an acquired skill. Taking full stock of the thinker's historical and global accomplishments, Friedman portrays a man of immense authenticity and spirituality who made life in the twentieth century more humane than it might have been.
410 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 27, 2013
Har precis läst igenom The lives of Erich Fromm, en biografi som är den mest fullständiga som någonsin skrivits över Fromm. Friedman har ett proggresivt uppsåt och han berättar på ett ärligt sätt om Fromms för- och nackdelar. En viktig orsak till Fromms popularitet var att han, som alla sanna revolutionärer, använde sig av ett språk som vanliga människor förstår.Bara jag tänker på Sartres Kritik av det dialektiska förnuftet så blir jag rasande. Till vilken nytta, till vilken nytta? Naturligtvis att verka mer lärd- och ännu värre blir det när man tänker på alla officiella filosofer som hyllar verket som banbrytande. Orsaken till att jag tar upp detta är att Fromm ibland använder sig en metod som är skadlig men av en annan natur. Vissa böcker av hans böcker, som inte av en slump blivit hans mest populära, dryper av ord som Kärlek, Lycka, Harmoni och dylikt. Det är väl ingen normal person som inte tycker om dylika tillstånd. Men han använder sig av orden i slutsatser utan någon som helst bevisföringen. Det ger en smak av borgerliga självhjälpsböcker. Men jag tycker dessa negativa aspekter inte spelar någon större roll med all denn positiv roll som Fromm Det dröjde rätt så länge innan jag förstod Fromms storhet. Flykten från friheten beskriver hur den moderna människan hellre föredrar fångenskap än att ta steg mot friheten. Att ha eller att vara beskriver konsumtionssamhället degraderar människan. Den destruktiva människan är ett viktigt bidrag till karaktärstik av den auktoritära människan. Det viktigaste kunskapen som biografin gav mig var att Fromm redan på 30-talet var djupt involverad i olika auktoritetsproblem, något att studera vidare. En annan intressant episod är när Fromm tar hjälp av Bertrand Russell för att befria en släkting från fångenskap i Östtyskland. I förhandlingarna med Östtyskarna följer man hur Russell hetsar upp sig mer och mer på motståndet. Till slut bryter Russell alla band med Östtyskarna, lämnar tillbaka en Fredsmedalj han fått, samt beskriver i artiklar hur Östtyskarna fängslar olikttänkande. Fromms släktings frigavs senare på ett sätt som räddade ansiktet på alla berörda parter. En annan epsiod som berör är nar Fromm svårt sjuk håller tal den 8 dec 1966 vid ett fullt Madison Square Garden. Hans tal möttes med stor, stående hyllning. Belöningen var att han drabbades av en stor hjärtattack i sviterna. Friedmans biografi är ett stort bidrag till Erich Fromms liv och verk.
July 3, 2016
I was in this one for the long haul, but it was definitely worth. I knew little about Erich Fromm other than his importance within the field of psychology. I deeply appreciate the way Fromm integrated and interpreted his Jewish roots although he ascribed more with secular humanism. Friedmann does a fantastic job laying out Fromm's views while also highlighting his professional accomplishments, quite the task for someone with as many publishings as Fromm. Friendman paints Fromm not just as a psychologist, but in his many "lives," not leaving out such details as his concern for the human race and his interests in foreign policy. Friendman shows Fromm as proof that we are all products of our ethics and we act as a result of how we perceive each other. Fromm is revealed to be one concerned primarily with "being" and being one within the global community.
February 2, 2013
I didn't know many of the things that were written in this book, even if I knew about the big role that Fromm had in psychology. I didn't even know about he and Amnesty International, so a very interesting book for me and for anybody that could be interested in the life of one of the most prominent people of 1900s.
NOn sapevo tante delle cose scritte in questo libro, anche se conoscevo il ruolo chiave di Fromm nella psicologia contemporanea. NOn sapevo nemmeno che avesse avuto un ruolo fondamentale nella nascita di Amnesy International quindi questo libro è stato veramente interessante sia per me sia per chiunque possa essere interessanto nella vita di una delle principali personalità del secolo scorso.
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESS FOR THE PREVIEW.
NOn sapevo tante delle cose scritte in questo libro, anche se conoscevo il ruolo chiave di Fromm nella psicologia contemporanea. NOn sapevo nemmeno che avesse avuto un ruolo fondamentale nella nascita di Amnesy International quindi questo libro è stato veramente interessante sia per me sia per chiunque possa essere interessanto nella vita di una delle principali personalità del secolo scorso.
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESS FOR THE PREVIEW.
January 31, 2018
I discovered Erich Fromm in the ‘80s, and immediately fell for his no-nonsense brand of humanism and liberalism (disguised as Marxism, as he was a follower of Marx). His work has inspired me ever since, not least 'The Sane Society,' with its ground-breaking and daring declaration of the human condition.
The book is quite academic in tone, but not so much that the general reader can’t enjoy it. A great amount of work went into the writing of it, as the author observes in his introduction, but that work pays off as the contradictions and brilliance of the man come to light.
Fromm, for all his vision and wisdom, was no angel; something of a surprise to me, who knew nothing of his personal life. Letters written by Fromm and by his friends illuminate this part of the biography. Fromm also ignored a lot of health issues during various intensive spells of work, and this biography conveys those periods of his life very well.
I suppose the readership of the book is essentially going to be followers of Fromm, and perhaps those in the psychoanalysis world for whom the shadow of Freud still looms large. The political aspects of his life are particularly interesting, and often surprising, especially during the Cold War period, but I suspect those will fade in times to come. His work on the fundamentals of the human condition however will never fall into obscurity. He really was way ahead of his time, and this superb biography illustrates that very nicely.
The book is quite academic in tone, but not so much that the general reader can’t enjoy it. A great amount of work went into the writing of it, as the author observes in his introduction, but that work pays off as the contradictions and brilliance of the man come to light.
Fromm, for all his vision and wisdom, was no angel; something of a surprise to me, who knew nothing of his personal life. Letters written by Fromm and by his friends illuminate this part of the biography. Fromm also ignored a lot of health issues during various intensive spells of work, and this biography conveys those periods of his life very well.
I suppose the readership of the book is essentially going to be followers of Fromm, and perhaps those in the psychoanalysis world for whom the shadow of Freud still looms large. The political aspects of his life are particularly interesting, and often surprising, especially during the Cold War period, but I suspect those will fade in times to come. His work on the fundamentals of the human condition however will never fall into obscurity. He really was way ahead of his time, and this superb biography illustrates that very nicely.
May 15, 2014
An excellent, thoughtful, balanced biography of Erich Fromm, who lead a very active, rich life in many dimensions, personal,as a psychoanalyst, as a politically active citizen, who corresponded with Adlai Stevenson and Eugene McCarthy, as an author, thinker, spiritual figure.
Fromm was, for such a public figure, very private, almost secretive (unlike Freud and Jung, who published and wrote about their dreams, Fromm, who had a strong interest in dreams, I don't think ever reported one of his). Only in his book, Beyond the Chains of Illusion, did he briefly talk about the personal antecedents of his intellectual and spiritual and political passions.
In this biography, we see a real human being, facing the challenges of his life and learn about many facets of his life, such as the influence he had on the Kennedy administration in their approach to Germany, and professional aspects of his life, such as how he dealt with interpersonal conflicts that arose when he was conducting an in depth socio-psychoanalytic study of a Mexican village, as well as his personal life, marriages. I did not know, for instance, that Fromm had dated an African American woman, in the 1940's in the US. This is more than gossip. It shows a willing to act courageously in the face of prejudicial social norms.
I have not read all of the book yet, but so far it is a very good read.
Fromm was, for such a public figure, very private, almost secretive (unlike Freud and Jung, who published and wrote about their dreams, Fromm, who had a strong interest in dreams, I don't think ever reported one of his). Only in his book, Beyond the Chains of Illusion, did he briefly talk about the personal antecedents of his intellectual and spiritual and political passions.
In this biography, we see a real human being, facing the challenges of his life and learn about many facets of his life, such as the influence he had on the Kennedy administration in their approach to Germany, and professional aspects of his life, such as how he dealt with interpersonal conflicts that arose when he was conducting an in depth socio-psychoanalytic study of a Mexican village, as well as his personal life, marriages. I did not know, for instance, that Fromm had dated an African American woman, in the 1940's in the US. This is more than gossip. It shows a willing to act courageously in the face of prejudicial social norms.
I have not read all of the book yet, but so far it is a very good read.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews