Fromm, E. (1900–1980). Fromm, Erich. The Encyclopedia of Psychoanalysis. Retrieved from https://www.encyclopedia.com/psychology/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/fromm-erich-1900-1980
Erich Fromm was a German psychoanalyst and one of the most influential social critics of the twentieth century. Born in Frankfurt, Germany, on March 23, 1900, Fromm was the only child of a wealthy Jewish family. He received a traditional Jewish education, but eventually abandoned religious orthodoxy in favor of a more secular approach to life. Fromm studied law and sociology at the University of Frankfurt. After completing his studies, he trained as a psychoanalyst and eventually became a full professor at the Institute of Social Research in Frankfurt, where he worked until 1933.
In 1933, Fromm was forced to flee Nazi Germany and immigrated to the United States. He began teaching at New York University and eventually became a professor at Columbia University. During his tenure in the United States, Fromm developed a unique psychoanalytic approach that blended Freudian theory with Marxist social theory. He argued that the human condition was shaped by both psychological and social forces, and that true human freedom was found in a state of self-realization that was achieved through self-love and social responsibility. Fromm also wrote extensively on the nature of love, examining its various forms and proposing the concept of “productive” versus “non-productive” love.
Fromm’s works, including Escape from Freedom (1941), Man for Himself (1947), and The Art of Loving (1956), made him one of the most widely read and influential psychoanalysts of his time. He died in Switzerland on March 18, 1980.
References
Fromm, E. (1941). Escape from freedom. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company.
Fromm, E. (1947). Man for himself: An inquiry into the psychology of ethics. New York, NY: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
Fromm, E. (1956). The art of loving. New York, NY: Harper & Row.
The Encyclopedia of Psychoanalysis. (n.d.). Fromm, Erich (1900–1980). Retrieved from https://www.encyclopedia.com/psychology/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/fromm-erich-1900-1980