fei75766_ch08_242-270.indd 251  02/06/20 12:02 PM
Chapter 8    Fromm: Humanistic Psychoanalysis251
however, theyneed afinalgoalor“object ofdevotion” (Fromm, 1976, p.137). 
According toFromm, thisgoalorobject ofdevotion focuses people’s energies ina
single direction, enables ustotranscend ourisolated existence, andconfers meaning 
toourlives.
Summary of Human Needs
Inaddition tophysiological oranimal needs, people aremotivated byfivedistinc -
tively human needs—relatedness, transcendence, rootedness, asense ofidentity, and
aframe oforientation. These needs haveevolved from human existence asaseparate 
species andareaimed atmoving people toward areunion withthenatural world. 
Fromm believed thatlackofsatisfaction ofanyofthese needs isunbearable and
results ininsanity. Thus, people arestrongly driven tofulfill them insome wayor
another, either positively ornegatively.
Table 8.1shows thatrelatedness canbesatisfied through submission, domi -
nation, orlove,butonlyloveproduces authentic fulfillment; transcendence canbe
satisfied byeither destructiveness orcreativeness, butonlythelatter permits joy;root-
edness canbesatisfied either byfixation tothemother orbymoving forward intofull
birth andwholeness; thesense ofidentity canbebased onadjustment tothegroup, 
oritcanbesatisfied through creative movement toward individuality; andaframe of
orientation maybeeither irrational orrational, butonlyarational philosophy can
serve asabasis forthegrowth oftotalpersonality (Fromm, 1981).
The Burden of Freedom
Thecentral thesis ofFromm’s writings isthathumans havebeen tornfrom nature, 
yettheyremain partofthenatural world, subject tothesame physical limitations as
other animals. Astheonlyanimal possessing self-awareness, imagination, andreason, 
humans are“thefreak[s] oftheuniverse” (Fromm, 1955, p.23).Reason isbotha
curse andablessing. Itisresponsible forfeelings ofisolation andloneliness, butitis
alsotheprocess thatenables humans tobecome reunited withtheworld.
Historically, aspeople gained more andmore economic andpolitical freedom, 
theycame tofeelincreasingly more isolated. Forexample, during theMiddle Ages 
people hadrelatively littlepersonal freedom. They wereanchored toprescribed roles TABLE 8.1
Summary of Fromm’s Human Needs
Relatedness  Submission ordomination  Love
Transcendence  Destructiveness  Creativeness
Rootedness  Fixation  Wholeness
Sense ofidentity  Adjustment toagroup  Individuality
Frame oforientation  Irrational goals  Rational goals Negative Components  Positive ComponentsFinal PDF to printer