Erich Fromm: Humanistic Psychoanalysis D.

Sense of Identity
The fourth human need is for a sense of identity, or an
Summary Outline awareness of ourselves as a separate person. The drive for a
sense of identity is expressed nonproductively as conformity
I.Overview of Fromm's Humanistic Psychoanalysis to a group and productively as individuality.
Erich Fromm's humanistic psychoanalysis looks at people
from the perspective of psychology, history, and E. Frame of Orientation
anthropology. Influenced by Freud and Horney, Fromm By frame of orientation, Fromm meant a road map or
developed a more culturally oriented theory than Freud and consistent philosophy by which we find our way through the
a much broader theory than Horney. world. This need is expressed nonproductively as a striving for
irrational goals and productively as movement toward rational
II.Biography of Erich Fromm goals.
Erich Fromm was born in Germany in 1900, the only child of
orthodox Jewish parents. A thoughtful young man, Fromm V. The Burden of Freedom
was influenced by the bible, Freud, and Marx, as well as by As the only animal possessing self-awareness, humans are
socialist ideology. After receiving his PhD, Fromm began the freaks of the universe. Historically, as people gained more
studying psychoanalysis and became an analyst by virtue of political freedom, they began to experience more isolation
being analyzed by Hanns Sachs, a student of Freud. In 1934, from others and from the world and to feel free from the
Fromm moved to the United States and began a security of a permanent place in the world. As a result,
psychoanalytic practice in New York, where he also resumed freedom becomes a burden, and people experience basic
his friendship with Karen Horney. Much of his later years were anxiety, or a feeling of being alone in the world.
spent in Mexico and Switzerland. He died in 1980.
A. Mechanisms of Escape
III.Fromm's Basic Assumptions To reduce the frightening sense of isolation and aloneness,
Fromm believed that humans have been torn away from their people may adopt one of three mechanisms of escape:
prehistoric union with nature and left with no powerful (1) authoritarianism, or the tendency to give up one's
instincts to adapt to a changing world. But because humans independence and to unite with a powerful partner;
have acquired the ability to reason, they can think about their (2) destructiveness, an escape mechanism aimed at doing
isolated condition—a situation Fromm called the human away with other people or things; and (3) conformity, or
dilemma. surrendering of one's individuality in order to meet the wishes
of others.
IV.Human Needs
Our human dilemma cannot be solved by satisfying our animal B. Positive Freedom
needs. It can only be addressed by fulfilling our uniquely The human dilemma can only be solved through positive
human needs, an accomplishment that moves us toward a freedom, which is the spontaneous activity of the whole,
reunion with the natural world. Fromm identified five of these integrated personality, and which is achieved when a person
distinctively human or existential needs. becomes reunited with others.

A.Relatedness VI. Character Orientations

First is relatedness, which can take the form of (1) submission, People relate to the world by acquiring and using things
(2) power, or (3) love. Love, or the ability to unite with another (assimilation) and by relating to self and others (socialization),
while retaining one's own individuality and integrity, is the and they can do so either nonproductively or productively.
only relatedness need that can solve our basic human
dilemma. A.Nonproductive Orientations
Fromm identified four nonproductive strategies that fail to
B. Transcendence move people closer to positive freedom and self-realization.
Being thrown into the world without their consent, humans People with a receptive orientation believe that the source of
have to transcend their nature by destroying or creating all good lies outside themselves and that the only way they can
people or things. Humans can destroy through malignant relate to the world is to receive things, including love,
aggression, or killing for reasons other than survival, but they knowledge, and material objects. People with an exploitative
can also create and care about their creations. orientation also believe that the source of good lies outside
themselves, but they aggressively take what they want rather
C. Rootedness than passively receiving it. Hoarding characters try to save
Rootedness is the need to establish roots and to feel at home what they have already obtained, including their opinions,
again in the world. Productively, rootedness enables us to feelings, and material possessions. People with a marketing
grow beyond the security of our mother and establish ties with orientation see themselves as commodities and value
the outside world. With the nonproductive strategy, we themselves against the criterion of their ability to sell
become fixated and afraid to move beyond the security and themselves. They have fewer positive qualities than the other
safety of our mother or a mother substitute. orientations because they are essentially empty.

Theories of Personality: Erich Fromm

B. The Productive Orientation easily offended, indecisive, fearful, and rigid were more likely
Psychologically healthy people work toward positive freedom to be politically conservative in their 20s, and those described
through productive work, love. and reasoning. Productive as self-reliant, energetic, somewhat dominating, and relatively
love necessitates a passionate love of all life and is under-controlled were more likely to be politically liberal in
called biophilia. their 20s. This research not only shows how people deal
differently with their “burden of freedom,” but also how
VII.Personality Disorders powerfully predictive personality types are, even when
Unhealthy people have nonproductive ways of working, measured at very early ages.
reasoning, and especially loving. Fromm recognized three
major personality disorders: (1) necrophilia, or the love of XI.Critique of Psychoanalytic Social Theory
death and the hatred of all humanity; (2) malignant The strength of Fromm's theory is his lucid writings on a broad
narcissism, or a belief that everything belonging to one's self range of human issues. As a scientific theory, however,
is of great value and anything belonging to others is worthless; Fromm's theory rates very low on its ability to generate
and incestuous symbiosis, or an extreme dependence on research and to lend itself to falsification; it rates low on
one's mother or mother surrogate. usefulness to the practitioner, internal consistency, and
parsimony. Because it is quite broad in scope, Fromm's theory
VIII. Psychotherapy rates high on organizing existing knowledge.
The goal of Fromm's psychotherapy was to work toward
satisfaction of the basic human needs of relatedness, XII. Concept of Humanity
transcendence, rootedness, a sense of identity, and a frame of Fromm believed that humans are the "freaks of nature,"
orientation. The therapist tries to accomplish this through because they lack strong animal instincts while possessing the
shared communication in which the therapist is simply a ability to reason. In brief, his view is rated average on free
human being rather than a scientist. choice, optimism, unconscious influences, and uniqueness;
low on causality; and high on social influences.
IX.Fromm's Methods of Investigation
Fromm's personality theory rests on data he gathered from a
variety of sources, including psychotherapy, cultural
anthropology, and psychohistory. Multiple Choice

A. Social Character in a Mexican Village _____1.As an adolescent, Erich Fromm

Fromm and his associates spent several years investigating a.aspired to be a famous general in the German army.
social character in an isolated farming village in Mexico and b.assumed that people in his native land were less belligerent
found evidence of all the character orientations except the than those in enemy nations.
marketing one. c.made two unsuccessful attempts to commit suicide.
d.none of these.
B. A Psychohistorical Study of Hitler
Fromm applied the techniques of psychohistory to study _____2.Fromm believed that the rise of capitalism has
several historical people, including Adolf Hitler—the person contributed to
Fromm regarded as the world's most conspicuous example of a.the growth of personal freedom.
someone with the syndrome of decay, that is, necrophilia, b.a greater degree of happiness among people.
malignant narcissism, and incestuous symbiosis. c.feelings of anxiety, isolation, and powerlessness.
d.higher levels of community cohesion.
X.Related Research
Although Fromm's writings are brilliant and insightful, his _____3.Which of these people was NOT an important
theory ranks near the bottom of personality theories with influence on Fromm's thinking?
regard to stimulating research. Reasons for this may be a.Sigmund Freud b.Thomas More
Fromm’s broad approach, and that his ideas are more c.Karl Marx d.Johann J. Bachofen
sociological than psychological in many ways. However, topics e.Karen Horney
of interest to Fromm, such as alienation from culture and
nature in general, can be studied psychologically at the _____4.One of Fromm's basic assumptions is that people
individual level and can have implications for well-being. For have been torn away from a union with nature, and lacking
example, Mark Bernard and his colleagues found, as they adequate animal instincts, they must rely on reason. This
predicted, that perceived discrepancies between one’s values condition is called
and those of society lead to feelings of estrangement, and that a.the rational imperative. b.the human dilemma.
these feelings of estrangement lead to anxiety and depression c.manifest destiny. d.transcendence.
(Bernard, Gebauer, & Maio, 2006). These findings support
Fromm’s ideas. Another area of research influenced by _____5.According to Fromm, the four basic elements in the
Fromm’s ideas is that of political beliefs. Jack and Jeanne process of love are knowledge, care, respect, and
Block (2006) made a longitudinal study, first assessing the a.responsibility. b.affection.
personality types of preschoolers, then following up almost 20 c.interest. d.cooperation.
years later on the political beliefs of the participants, who were
now young adults. They found that children described as
Theories of Personality: Erich Fromm
_____6.Transcendence is the need for humans to
a.seek self-realization in a basically sick society. _____17.Biophilia is
b.rise above their passive and accidental existence. a.the psychic illness of the modern age.
c.move beyond their human nature and into the realm of b.a passionate love of life.
superhumans. c.the principal component of the syndrome of decay.
d.feel restless and anxious with the realization that they are d.an erotic desire to hoard one's childhood toys.
constantly geographically mobile.
_____18.Fromm believed that psychopathology stems from
____7.Rootedness is the need for humans to a.unconscious guilt.
a.remain fixed in the relationship with parents. b.modes of assimilation.
b.rise above their passive and accidental existence. c.modes of socialization.
c.feel at home again in the world. d.lack of rootedness.
d.return to their pre-human past.
e.feel restless and anxious with the realization that they are _____19.People who suffer from malignant narcissism
forever geographically mobile. a.tend to be sadistic in their relations with others.
b.devalue that which belongs to others while overvaluing
_____8.Fromm believed that a frame of orientation is that which they possess.
necessary in order for people to c.usually possess a strong mother fixation.
a.achieve personal identity. d.are characterized by necrophilia and the loss of self-
b.achieve group cohesiveness. identity.
c.make their way through the world.
d.rise above their animal nature. _____20.A person with moral hypochondrias
a.is overly concerned with physical symptoms.
_____9.When existential needs are not satisfied, people will b.is overly concerned with psychological symptoms.
a.become motivated by human needs. c.suffers from the syndrome of decay.
b.become motivated by essential needs. d.is preoccupied with guilt.
c.develop extraordinary willpower.
d.none of these. _____21.Which of these is NOT part of Fromm's syndrome of
decay?
____10.According to Fromm, the freaks of the universe are a.malignant narcissism.
a.people. b.women. b.moral hypochondrias.
c.planets. d.snakes. c.incestuous symbiosis.
d.necrophilia.
_____11.In Fromm's view, people with basic anxiety
a.suffer from the burden of freedom. _____22.In his concept of humanity, Erich Fromm
b.express their anxiety by moving towardpeople. emphasized
c.eventually suffer a psychotic break. a.neuroses.
d.represent a small minority of all people. b.differences between humans and other animals.
e.all of these. c.similarities between women and men.
d.the human need to achieve self-actualization.
_____12.Authoritarianism may take these two forms.
a.power and destruction b.sadism and masochism
c.love and hate d.effective and ineffective

_____13.The spontaneous activity of a healthy individual Answer Key

represents
a.positive freedom. b.essential freedom. 1.d 11.a 21.b
c.existential chaos. d.transcendence. 2.c 12.b 22.d
3.b 13.a
_____14.The two components of positive freedom are 4.b 14.a
a.work and love. b.thought and action. 5.a 15.a
c.faith and hope. d.desire and restraint. 6.b 16.c
7.c 17.b
_____15.Freud's anal character is similar to Fromm's ______ 8.c 18.c
character. 9.d 19.b
a.hoarding b.marketing 10.a 20.d
c.exploitative d.receptive

_____16.Which nonproductive character is a product of

modern commerce?
a.hoarding b.exploitative
c.marketing d.receptive
Theories of Personality: Erich Fromm