Escape from Freedom — an academic review.

“What is freedom as a human experience?”

In his work Escape from Freedom-also known as Fear of Freedom in some translated publications-Erich Fromm attempts to procure an answer to the question by examining a multitude of psychological, sociological, economic and political factors that might have an influence on how we-humans-perceive freedom, and what role it plays in the way we feel and live.

Erich Fromm has written a series of books treating of the relationship between the sociological and psychological factors that encompass the modern man’s way of living, and the drive behind most things that humans tend to do as members of a society. In 1941, after he fled Nazi Germany and settled in the US, Erich Fromm interrupts his ongoing work to focus on writing Escape from Freedom, which was published as a part of that series, and is a socio-psychological analysis of the ambivalent relationship of humanity with freedom.

A considerably large part of the book speaks of the psychology behind Fascism and Nazism in the years preceding World War II, and the possibility that modern society may lead to yet another Fascist episode in the history of mankind.

At first glance, the topic of the book might seem outdated and somewhat irrelevant in our modern society, yet throughout the reading of the texts the significance of the concepts explored in this work are frighteningly easy to relate to the life we see and take part in everyday in the twenty-first century.

Erich Fromm speaks of the effects, or maybe impacts, of a capitalist government and how they relate to the never-ending search of the modern man for individual liberties.

He also manages, through the careful analysis of the psychology behind Nazism and Fascism, to uncover what may be the reason why the current generations seem to be struggling with identity crises and anxiety from a very young age.

The text itself if quite fluid and undemanding in its reading, as it reads more like the author’s train of thought laid down on paper rather than a literary structured study of the chosen subject. Fromm writes as if he was speaking to an audience, asking questions as they naturally come, and answering them as he goes. The style is reminding of the Socratic method of thinking, but perhaps more lenient, and based on facts rather than idealistic projections of the issues and topics at hand.

The book begins with a somewhat specific image of modern history, defining it as humanity’s struggle to gain individual liberties. Fromm mentions Freud’s theory where he argues that all human actions are driven by unconscious base instincts derived from childhood, and while he seems to agree with said theory the author adds that some of those instincts could have been instilled in us by society.

He then follows with the idea that the more a modern man gains in independence, the more they might feel isolated from society and lonely. Fromm suggests that there are two solutions to remedy to isolation: the first one would be to seek connections with outside authorities and the second to find love and satisfying work. The latter would allow the person to conserve their freedom, while also feeling somewhat content. The author also mentions that if society was to fail at procuring the means to apply those solutions, humanity will turn to Fascism.

Additionally, Fromm makes note of the impact that the transition from feudalism to capitalism has in Europe in the early 1900s. The sudden evolution from a society that was based on fixed social classes and a strong oligarchy to one that would in theory allow everyone the same opportunity at pursuing their goals, did not necessarily have the effect that one would expect. Instead of grasping the chance for a better life, most of the emerging middle class found itself at a disadvantage since they did not have the wealth and status to profit from the newly installed capitalist regime. Furthermore capitalism was in a way the ‘birthplace’ of new religious sects: Lutheranism and Calvinism. While both sects promoted the direct communication with God-as opposed to using priests as intermediary-as well as self-humiliation, Calvinism was based on predestination, which only further convinced people to surrender themselves to the service of God. Needless to say, the drive to become a better citizen and therefore to be more productive all but fueled capitalist development.

Consequently, Fromm denounces the citizens of capitalist societies to be mere parts in the giant machine of profit. The economy becomes dominated by massive monopolies, and increases the feeling of loneliness amongst the masses. To cope with loneliness people resort to various escape mechanisms. The author mentions a couple, including Fascism and compulsive conformity. He explains those by the means of authoritarian characters such as sadism and masochism, which he will give extensive examples for in the following chapter.

Finally, Fromm states that modern democratic countries incite their citizens to compulsive conformity, and make them easily manipulated “automatons” , incapable of finding happiness.

If Erich Fromm endeavored to find a definition to the human experience of freedom, then he most definitely succeeded to procure at the very least a partial answer to the question. As Fromm explores the true meaning of freedom, he comes to discover the main reason why people seem so eager to abandon it: and that is the feelings of isolation and loneliness that result from independence in a capitalist society. He applies that theory to the-then-ongoing political situation in Italy and Germany, and dives into the psychoanalysis of Fascism and Nazism.

He starts posing questions such as “[i]f there is not [an instinctive wish for submission], how can we account for the attraction which submission to a leader has for so many today?” or “[w]hat creates in men an insatiable lust for power?” and “[w]hat are the psychological conditions that make for the strength of these striving? [hence] what are the social conditions upon which such psychological conditions in turn are based?” .

Fromm finds answers to those by analyzing the behavior of Hitler and his followers.

He starts by exploring the urges and beliefs that might have given birth to Nazism as a school of thought. In his book Mein Kampf he admits his hunger for power, and his hatred towards anyone who might be considered ‘weak’ or ‘inferior’. He bases his politics on Darwin’s theory of ‘the survival of the fittest’ and believes that all of his actions would on the long term prove good for the country. Hitler-according to himself-was a sadist, however, Fromm believes him to be a masochist. In addition to the basic need to feel superior and consequently to make others feel inferior to himself, Hitler also had the conviction that he was serving a greater good. He believed his power came from a higher authority, be it God, fate or even nature.

Erich Fromm explains masochism as a means to lessen the feeling of loneliness by surrendering to a higher authority, thus giving the feeling of being a part of something bigger than oneself. If we take that definition to be accurate, then Fromm’s idea that the followers of the Nazi regime are also masochists can only be true.

This particular theme relates to the course material in terms of explaining how the Nazi party came to power and why.

Let us explore the reasons behind the results of the 1932 German elections.

In 1932, Germany has become a liberal democracy after the fall of Imperial Russia and the emergence of the Bolshevik government. After being know as Weimar Germany for about fourteen years, it suddenly becomes a dictatorship.

However, after looking into how the Nazi party got to power, the switch in governments does not seem so surprising. It is important to note that the Nazi party ran the 1924 elections with the same campaign they promoted in 1932, and yet only polled with 3% of the votes, and with 2,6% in 1928. So why the sudden rise in supporters for a regime that was so unpopular amongst the people? This is where Fromm’s theory comes in: the insecurity of the middle class.

Under the government of Weimar, Germany experienced an inflation, ruining countless businesses and shattering the whole idea behind the middle class. Instead of basking in business opportunities and rising to become a part of the wealthier classes the middle class suffers a terrible economic blow, making them fear for the future generations.

The Nazi party promises a better future to the nation, and privileges to the middle class, which places the odds in favor of Hitler winning the elections in 1932. He builds his campaign on patriotism and social homogeneity, promoting a more instinctive government based on Führerprinzip. Evidently, the sacrifice of democracy for a better future seems fair to the middle class, since they get Hitler elected with 37% votes for the Nazi party.

Erich Fromm highlights this as the surrender of freedom in exchange for security. This explains why it was the middle class that cast the deciding votes, and not the elite for example. The business elite had nothing to gain from a campaign that mainly targeted insecurity and promised the opportunity for social rise of status, since they were already taking full advantage of the liberal democracy in place back then. The only reason why the elite ends up supporting Hitler is because he promises them to get rid of big unions, and because he is backed by Henry Ford.

In summary, the Nazi party, lead mainly by authoritarian characters, gets elected into power as a way for the middle class to escape the feeling of insecurity about the future.

In light of all of that, Erich Fromm’s analysis of the topic seems accurate, but more importantly, relevant to this very day.

In fact our modern society, especially nowadays when COVID-19 is all but fueling our capitalist governments, we as a people more than ever relate to the feeling of insecurity and isolation that Fromm was referring to. With the on and off quarantines and the fear of contamination growing with every death we see around us, every step outside becoming a chore and a potential risk for our health, and the growing online alternatives for shopping, entertainment and even education, we become more and more isolated from the rest of the society. As students, we do not know when we will be able to have in person classes again, or when we will be able to socialize with human beings without two masks and a glass panel separating us. Some of us are deprived of even more fundamental needs such as visiting family. Being unable to leave the country to go back home even for a couple of weeks is non arguably a plausible source of insecurity and loneliness. Not to mention the crippling fear that a relative might catch the virus and get complications from it or worse, and not even being able to be there for them.

COVID-19 aside, our modern society is built in a way that promotes profit over anything. Social media promoting even the simplest things like body positivity commonly use the platform to market items of clothing-or a new ‘healthy foods’ delivery service. On a larger scale, corporations like Amazon make millions of dollars in profit, yet still underpay their employees. This relates to Fromm’s statement about the economic sphere in a capitalist society being dominated by massive monopolies, and how it steals the individuality and the ability of the people to recognize their own desires from the needs of the society they are part of.

In conclusion, Escape from Freedom is a comprehensive analysis of the psychological and sociological factors that contribute to the fear of freedom that the modern man has come to experience in the past century or so. The text itself is graciously written and rather simple to understand, ideas flowing naturally, allowing the reader to follow through and reflect on each question before reading Fromm’s answer to it.

The themes chosen by Erich Fromm in the book are of equally important relevance today as they were back when the text was published, and dive deep into the human psyche to explain how we experience freedom. One question that will remain unanswered in this book-not because of a hole in Erich Fromm’s argumentation but simply because the question arose after the work was published-is: what form would fascism-if given a chance to resurface like Fromm’s predicts-take in today’s world? Who would it target? Who would suffer from authoritarian ultranationalism and who would benefit from it? Or has it already reappeared in result of the insecurity of some people?

References

Fromm, Erich. Escape from Freedom. New York: Rinehart, 1941.