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Part II    Psychodynamic Theories244
Fromm takes anevolutionary viewofhumanity. When humans emerged as
aseparate species inanimal evolution, theylostmost oftheiranimal instincts but
gained “anincrease inbrain development thatpermitted self-awareness, imagination, 
planning, anddoubt” (Fromm, 1992, p.5).Thiscombination ofweak instincts anda
highly developed brain makes humans distinct from allother animals.
Amore recent event inhuman history hasbeen theriseofcapitalism, which on
onehand hascontributed tothegrowth ofleisure timeandpersonal freedom, buton
theother hand, ithasresulted infeelings ofanxiety, isolation, andpowerlessness. The
costoffreedom, Fromm maintained, hasexceeded itsbenefits. Theisolation wrought 
bycapitalism hasbeen unbearable, leaving people withtwoalternatives: (1)toescape 
from freedom intointerpersonal dependencies or(2)tomove to self-realization 
through productive loveandwork.
Biography of Erich Fromm
Liketheviews ofallpersonality theorists, Erich Fromm’s viewofhuman nature was
shaped bychildhood experiences. ForFromm, aJewish family life,thesuicide ofa
young woman, andtheextreme nationalism oftheGerman people contributed tohis
conception ofhumanity.
Fromm wasbornonMarch 23,1900, inFrankfurt, Germany, theonlychild of
middle-class Orthodox Jewish parents. Hisfather, Naphtali Fromm, wasthesonofa
rabbi andthegrandson oftworabbis. Hismother, Rosa Krause Fromm, wastheniece 
ofLudwig Krause, awell-known Talmudic scholar. Asaboy,Erich studied theOld
Testament withseveral prominent scholars, menwhowereregarded as“humanists 
ofextraordinary tolerance” (Landis &Tauber, 1971, p.xi).Fromm’s humanistic psy-
chology canbetraced tothereading ofthese prophets, “with theirvision ofuniversal 
peace andharmony, andtheirteachings thatthere areethical aspects tohistory—that 
nations candorightandwrong, andthathistory hasitsmoral laws” (p.x).
Fromm’s early childhood waslessthanideal. Herecalled thathehad“very neu-
roticparents” andthathewas“probably arather unbearably neurotic child” (Evans, 
1966, p.56).Hesawhisfather asbeing moody andhismother asprone todepres -
sion. Moreover, hegrew upintwoverydistinct worlds, onethetraditional Orthodox 
Jewish world, theother themodern capitalist world. Thissplitexistence created ten-
sions thatwerenearly unendurable, butitgenerated inFromm alifelong tendency to
seeevents from more thanoneperspective (Fromm, 1986; Hausdorff, 1972).
Thechapter opening vignette chronicled theshocking andpuzzling suicide of
anattractive artistic young woman whokilled herself soshecould beburied withher
father, whohadjustdied. How wasitpossible thatthisyoung woman could prefer 
death tobeing “alive tothepleasures oflifeandpainting”? (Fromm, 1962, p.4).This
question haunted Fromm forthenext10years andeventually ledtoaninterest in
Sigmund Freud andpsychoanalysis. AsFromm readFreud, hebegan tolearn about 
theOedipus complex andtounderstand howsuchanevent might bepossible. Later, 
Fromm would interpret theyoung woman’s irrational dependence onherfather asa
nonproductive symbiotic relationship, butinthose early years hewascontent with
theFreudian explanation.
Fromm was14when World WarIbegan, tooyoung tofightbutnottooyoung 
tobeimpressed bytheirrationality oftheGerman nationalism thathehadobserved Final PDF to printer