Escape from FreedomIf humanity cannot live with the dangers and responsibilities inherent in freedom, it will probably turn to authoritarianism. This is the central idea of "Escape from Freedom," a landmark work by one of the most distinguished thinkers of our time, and a book that is as timely now as when first published in 1941. Few books have thrown such light upon the forces that shape modern society or penetrated so deeply into the causes of authoritarian systems. If the rise of democracy set some people free, at the same time it gave birth to a society in which the individual feels alienated and dehumanized. Using the insights of psychoanalysis as probing agents, Fromm's work analyzes the illness of contemporary civilization as witnessed by its willingness to submit to totalitarian rule. |
Contents
FOREWORD | 3 |
FREEDOM IN THE AGE OF THE REFORMATION | 40 |
PERIOD OF THE REFORMATION | 51 |
Copyright | |
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activity analysis anxiety assumed attitude authoritarian character authority basic basis become Calvin capitalism capitalistic chapter character structure child compulsive concept culture democracy destructiveness discussion doctrines domination doubt drives dynamic economic emotional ESCAPE FROM FREEDOM essentially existence expression fact factors Fascism fate feeling of powerlessness forces freedom Freud German Hitler hostility human ical ideas ideology important independence indi individual insecurity insignificance irrational isolation kind lack lower middle class Luther's magic helper man's masochism masochistic strivings matter means medieval Mein Kampf Middle Ages modern moral nature Nazi Nazism needs negative freedom neurotic nomic object one's oneself person political positive freedom principle problem Protestantism pseudo psychological rational realization relationship Renaissance result role rooted sadistic sado-masochism sado-masochistic seems sense sexual social character social process society spirit spontaneous strength submission tendencies thinking thought tion uncon understand vidual whole