Since I am interested in philosophy, I once discovered a book called "die Kunst des Liebens" (the art of loving)(1956) by a German (Jewish') philosopher named Erich Fromm. It very much interested me since we are all in the stage of life where we are trying to figure out what things mean in life and one big part of that is what is love? what is loving? who do we love? As I was reading the book, I was struggling with some of his idea and I asked my mother about Erich Fromm. She started telling me about him, the time he lived in and some reasons for his ideas. Then my mother moved on to tell me about a great psychoanalyst called Sigumund Freud. She told me how his ideas revolutionised the thinking of psychology and how his ideas opened new doors for great thinkers such as Erich Fromm. Since the book I read was very psychoanalytical, analyzing the different kinds of loves a human can give to another (mother-son father- son boy-girl person-God) it made so much sense now where he got many of his ideas from. Fromm was very interested in behaviors of groups and therefore looked at Sigumund Freuds ideas, and became a Neo Freudian, but he too critisized some of Freud´s ideas such as the Odeipus Complex, the life and death instincts.Fromm believed that society and culture also played a significant role in individual human development.
On the other hand, Fromm also had some influence on humanistic psychology.He believed that life was a contradiction, since humans are both part of nature and separate from it. From this conflict arises basic existential needs including relatedness, creativity, rootedness, identity and a frame of orientation.
Erich Fromm was a very interesting individual, a great thinker and a help for me to understand psychoanalytical psychologiy and the art of loving. If you ever have time, read his work, especially that book since it will open your eyes to human behavior.
I think it is so cool that you figured this out. First of all, it's nice that you and your mother have such intellectual conversations! Also it is interesting that he is a neo-Freudian himself. His ideas seem interesting, and I like how some of his ideas seem similar to Frued's but also relate to humanistic psychology. I would love to read some of his approaches to love and relationships. We never focus on any of that in class really, and as you said, it could be helpful in figuring out your own relationships and relating what he says to your own life.
ReplyDeleteI can give you some of his booktitles if you are interested, I am sure they have them in the library!
ReplyDeleteIt really is nice to have someone so intelligent (my mother) be a guide in life since I am sure my mirrorneurons are always firing when she is doing things because I sometimes see how we are alike, but maybe it is also genetic :)