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A review by morgan_blackledge
The Sane Society by Erich Fromm
5.0
In the Sane Society, Fromm reiterates and expands upon his earlier works:
1. Escape From Freedom; a critical synthesis of Marx and Freud, and a treatise on what Fromm calls social psychology (but what would in my opinion be more accurately called socialist psychoanalysis).
2. Man for Himself; a treatise on modern humanistic, existential ethics, in which Fromm braids insights from Nietzsche and other existentialists into his psycho-social theory of ‘how to live’.
In the Sane Society, Fromm continues his critique of Freud for his myopic focus on individual neurosis, and lack of understanding of how social milieu, and economic and political systems effect and even shape the individual’s sense of self, feelings of well being, creative potential, values and relationships.
In a nutshell, Fromm is reiterating the idea that what Freud called neurosis, may in fact be a healthy response to a ‘sick’ system.
Fromm continues his critique of Marx for being tone deaf to the actual (rather than idealized) needs and motivations of human beings.
Fromm acknowledges that individualism is one of modernity’s great achievements, and competition and striving for innovation are innate human psychological needs.
Essentially, Fromm is claiming that forcing people into an artificially collectivistic ideology that does not fully satisfy their natural individualistic drives is the psycho-social equivalent of foot binding.
Fromm continues his critique of capitalism claiming that it objectifies and dehumanizes us by promoting the willful commodification of ourselves and others, basically reducing us to wage slaves that toil endlessly out of materialistic vanity and/or in avoidance of the pure terror of being homeless or broke and alone in old age.
But he’s not any less critical of Soviet style communism, claiming that, psychologically speaking, it’s essentially the same thing as corperate capitalism, with the only difference being that huge oppressive bureaucracy and police surveillance force consent in the USSR, where as money driven Madison Avenue manufactures consent in America via social pressure and manipulative psychological persuasion.
Fromm could be talking about 2020 in his descriptions of the psychology of media and information driven work.
Fromm keenly observes that concentrated activity is invigorating, and multitasking or non-concentrated activity is draining.
Fromm observes that, mindless daydreaming is not invigorating, but is in fact a signature of lacking connection with life and the here and now.
He continues by observing that modern informational life splits our attentions and drives us to distraction and dissociation.
Fromm seems to predict what life is like in 2020, and why mindfulness is such an important and prominent contemporary interest.
Fromm discusses life satisfaction from a psychodynamic perspective.
Fromm observes that it is common to feel satisfied on the conscious level and unconsciously repress feelings of dissatisfaction, particularly in our culture where being dissatisfied with life is highly stigmatized and elicits judgments of failure and feelings of shame.
As if you’re doing something wrong for feeling like life could be more than meaningless work and endless consumption of goods and pleasantries.
This could not be more apparent in the age of social media.
Getting right down to the point here.
For Fromm, the Sane Society is one in which psychological well being (sanity) is the focus.
Not ideology, not money, not guns, guts and god, not looking good, not being cool.
But simply sanity and wellness in mind, body, relationship and (yes) even spirit (although he’s not talking about anything supernatural, or magical when he makes allusions to the import of spiritual and religious life).
Basically, Fromm is promoting a fair (Marx), natural (Darwin), intrinsically motivated (Nietzsche) psychologically healthy (Freud) and awake (Buddha) way of being.
Fromm argues that Soviet era Communism and late century American democracy were more similar than distinct in so far as both cultures promoted a kind of oppressive, denatured, robotic conformity in its citizens.
Fromm proposes a type of decentralized, locally distributed, psychologically informed, modern European style humanitarian socialism as a third way, where by people are guaranteed a basic subsistence, education, healthcare etc. so that everyone can spend more time focused on personal exploration, growth, connection and innovation.
1. Escape From Freedom; a critical synthesis of Marx and Freud, and a treatise on what Fromm calls social psychology (but what would in my opinion be more accurately called socialist psychoanalysis).
2. Man for Himself; a treatise on modern humanistic, existential ethics, in which Fromm braids insights from Nietzsche and other existentialists into his psycho-social theory of ‘how to live’.
In the Sane Society, Fromm continues his critique of Freud for his myopic focus on individual neurosis, and lack of understanding of how social milieu, and economic and political systems effect and even shape the individual’s sense of self, feelings of well being, creative potential, values and relationships.
In a nutshell, Fromm is reiterating the idea that what Freud called neurosis, may in fact be a healthy response to a ‘sick’ system.
Fromm continues his critique of Marx for being tone deaf to the actual (rather than idealized) needs and motivations of human beings.
Fromm acknowledges that individualism is one of modernity’s great achievements, and competition and striving for innovation are innate human psychological needs.
Essentially, Fromm is claiming that forcing people into an artificially collectivistic ideology that does not fully satisfy their natural individualistic drives is the psycho-social equivalent of foot binding.
Fromm continues his critique of capitalism claiming that it objectifies and dehumanizes us by promoting the willful commodification of ourselves and others, basically reducing us to wage slaves that toil endlessly out of materialistic vanity and/or in avoidance of the pure terror of being homeless or broke and alone in old age.
But he’s not any less critical of Soviet style communism, claiming that, psychologically speaking, it’s essentially the same thing as corperate capitalism, with the only difference being that huge oppressive bureaucracy and police surveillance force consent in the USSR, where as money driven Madison Avenue manufactures consent in America via social pressure and manipulative psychological persuasion.
Fromm could be talking about 2020 in his descriptions of the psychology of media and information driven work.
Fromm keenly observes that concentrated activity is invigorating, and multitasking or non-concentrated activity is draining.
Fromm observes that, mindless daydreaming is not invigorating, but is in fact a signature of lacking connection with life and the here and now.
He continues by observing that modern informational life splits our attentions and drives us to distraction and dissociation.
Fromm seems to predict what life is like in 2020, and why mindfulness is such an important and prominent contemporary interest.
Fromm discusses life satisfaction from a psychodynamic perspective.
Fromm observes that it is common to feel satisfied on the conscious level and unconsciously repress feelings of dissatisfaction, particularly in our culture where being dissatisfied with life is highly stigmatized and elicits judgments of failure and feelings of shame.
As if you’re doing something wrong for feeling like life could be more than meaningless work and endless consumption of goods and pleasantries.
This could not be more apparent in the age of social media.
Getting right down to the point here.
For Fromm, the Sane Society is one in which psychological well being (sanity) is the focus.
Not ideology, not money, not guns, guts and god, not looking good, not being cool.
But simply sanity and wellness in mind, body, relationship and (yes) even spirit (although he’s not talking about anything supernatural, or magical when he makes allusions to the import of spiritual and religious life).
Basically, Fromm is promoting a fair (Marx), natural (Darwin), intrinsically motivated (Nietzsche) psychologically healthy (Freud) and awake (Buddha) way of being.
Fromm argues that Soviet era Communism and late century American democracy were more similar than distinct in so far as both cultures promoted a kind of oppressive, denatured, robotic conformity in its citizens.
Fromm proposes a type of decentralized, locally distributed, psychologically informed, modern European style humanitarian socialism as a third way, where by people are guaranteed a basic subsistence, education, healthcare etc. so that everyone can spend more time focused on personal exploration, growth, connection and innovation.