Podcast
Questions and Answers
What character orientation is characterized by a hatred for humanity and a focus on death and destruction?
What character orientation is characterized by a hatred for humanity and a focus on death and destruction?
According to Fromm, productive love is not essential for overcoming human loneliness.
According to Fromm, productive love is not essential for overcoming human loneliness.
False
What is the term used for an extreme dependence on a mother or mother surrogate that distorts reasoning powers?
What is the term used for an extreme dependence on a mother or mother surrogate that distorts reasoning powers?
Incestuous Symbiosis
Malignant narcissism impedes the perception of __________, causing a devaluation of others' worth.
Malignant narcissism impedes the perception of __________, causing a devaluation of others' worth.
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Match the concepts with their definitions:
Match the concepts with their definitions:
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What term refers to a person's relatively permanent way of relating to people and things?
What term refers to a person's relatively permanent way of relating to people and things?
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Masochism and Sadism are forms of destructiveness according to Fromm.
Masochism and Sadism are forms of destructiveness according to Fromm.
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What is the consequence of automaton conformity as described in Fromm's theory?
What is the consequence of automaton conformity as described in Fromm's theory?
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Fromm believed that destructiveness often masquerades as ______, duty, conscience, or patriotism.
Fromm believed that destructiveness often masquerades as ______, duty, conscience, or patriotism.
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Match the following escape mechanisms with their descriptions:
Match the following escape mechanisms with their descriptions:
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Which type of character orientation involves a passive approach to obtaining desired outcomes?
Which type of character orientation involves a passive approach to obtaining desired outcomes?
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According to Fromm, positive freedom can be achieved through escape mechanisms.
According to Fromm, positive freedom can be achieved through escape mechanisms.
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How does Fromm define personality?
How does Fromm define personality?
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What is the primary theme of Fromm's writings?
What is the primary theme of Fromm's writings?
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Fromm believes that knowing we will die leads to feelings of comfort and security.
Fromm believes that knowing we will die leads to feelings of comfort and security.
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What does Fromm suggest are two alternatives humans have in response to feelings of loneliness?
What does Fromm suggest are two alternatives humans have in response to feelings of loneliness?
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According to Fromm, escape mechanisms are attempts to flee from __________.
According to Fromm, escape mechanisms are attempts to flee from __________.
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Match the escape mechanism with its description:
Match the escape mechanism with its description:
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What does authoritarianism provide according to Fromm?
What does authoritarianism provide according to Fromm?
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Fromm views automaton conformity as a healthy resolution to loneliness.
Fromm views automaton conformity as a healthy resolution to loneliness.
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What is the common belief shared by individuals who lean towards authoritarianism?
What is the common belief shared by individuals who lean towards authoritarianism?
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Study Notes
Erich Fromm's Life and Work
- Born in Frankfurt, Germany, to an orthodox Jewish family
- Described his family life as tense, noting his parents' neuroses
- Experienced a split existence between traditional Jewish and modern capitalist worlds
- Influenced by Freud and Karl Marx, but sought to understand individual and societal laws
- Became a socialist after World War I
- Earned a PhD in sociology at the University of Heidelberg at age 22 or 25
- Studied psychoanalysis but couldn't meet Freud directly
- Married Frieda Reichmann in 1926, later divorced
- Moved to the United States in 1934, established practice in New York City
- Worked with, and renewed acquaintance with, Karen Horney
- Joined Horney's Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis but later disagreed with her.
Humanistic Psychoanalysis
- A personality theory emphasizing socioeconomic influences, history, economics and class structure
- Assumes loneliness and isolation (basic anxiety) stem from humanity's separation from nature
- Humans evolved increased brain development and self-awareness, leading to feelings of distinctness
- Capitalism engendered anxiety, isolation, and feelings of powerlessness, but provided leisure time and freedom.
- Two paths exist: escaping into dependence or self-realisation through work and love.
Existential Dichotomies
- This refers to the basic, inevitable conflicts inherent in the human condition.
- These include life and death, complete self-fulfilment versus limits of human life, and isolation versus connections
- Awareness of these predicaments drives the need for meaning and purpose.
Existential Needs
- Crucial for personal growth and development
- Relates to a need for connection with others (relatedness)
- Drives towards purpose and meaning (transcendence)
- Grounded in one's sense of place (rootedness)
- Recognizing individual worth and identity
Escape Mechanisms
- Escape mechanisms allow people to move away from their freedoms, but don't actually create solutions
- Three main escape mechanisms are authoritarianism, destructiveness and automaton conformity
- These escape mechanisms allow people to avoid their responsibility and live out irrational goals
- Fromm saw these as unsatisfactory
Character Orientations
- Personality types categorized by their interpersonal relations
- These types include: receptive, exploitative, hoarding, and marketing
- The productive personality, characterized by love, work, and critical thinking, is one alternative
Personality Disorders
- Some conditions prevent human connection with others and a sense of wholeness
- Conditions like necrophillia, malignant narcissism, or incestuous symbiosis are examples
- These prevent fulfilling Fromm's existential needs
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Description
Explore the life and contributions of Erich Fromm, a notable figure in humanistic psychoanalysis. Delve into his background, influences, and the sociocultural theories he proposed in response to individual and societal issues. This quiz encompasses his unique blend of psychoanalytic and socialist perspectives.
