A Study Of Fromm’s Theory Of "Escape From Freedom"

In order to understand the meaning of freedom for the modern man,Fromm,Erich studied the commonalities and peculiarities of different classes of people in different periods,focusing on the analysis of the capitalist production and lifestyle and the social living conditions that created the psychological characteristics of modern people.And he analysed in detail the dilemma of the modern people who aspires to freedom but ultimately "escapes from it".In the 21st century,the current situation of rich material but poor spirit shows that people’s situation of "escaping from freedom" has not been improved.Based on this,this paper attempts to make an overall exposition of Fromm’s theory of "Escape from Freedom".And reveal its contemporary values."Freedom" has two inherent attributes,one is rational consciousness and ability,and the other is the mental state of loneliness,uneasiness,and anxiety.First of all,this article explains the social and historical roots of "freedom" in Fromm’s context and its development at different stages.From the state of being protected by natural bonds in ancient society,to the process of breaking the feudal bondage in the Middle Ages Renaissance,and then to the establishment of the modern capitalist economic system,it is a process that the two inherent attributes of "freedom" are constantly strengthened.Under the influence of the social and economic structure,the internal development of the two trends is finally out of balance,and the development of human rational capacity is unable to withstand the increasing intensity of loneliness and anxiety."Freedom" becomes a kind of burden ultimately.The essence of"escaping from freedom" is to evade the state of "loneliness","uneasiness" and "anxiety".Next,the article focuses on three psychological mechanisms of "escape":authoritarianism,desire for destruction,mechanical convergence;Under the influence of social character,the psychology of "escape from freedom" eventually manifests itself in the form of Nazi totalitarianism and subordination to it and the form of mechanical convergence.In order to change the situation of "escape from freedom",it is necessary to realize one’s full self through creative and spontaneous activities,and carry out all-round social reforms at the same time.In the end,On the premise of mastering the basic theory of "escape from freedom",the article tries to evaluate the theory’s limitations and value of it.On the whole,Fromm’s concept of freedom is an abstract view of humanitarian freedom.It has a utopian nature in social reform programs.And it suffers from conceptual ambiguity in the contextual shift.However,these limitations cannot conceal the value of "escape from freedom".In addition to providing a perspective of integration and innovation,his criticism of modern society and his thinking on how to get out of the predicament of freedom provide reference for China’s practice and individual survival under the tide of the time.