An Marx Philosophical Analysis On Fromm’s Theory Of Escaping From Freedom

The theory of escape from freedom, which lays the foundation of Fromm’s academic career, is the most central part of Fromm’s theory system. Assuming the need for the sense of belonging as the base point of logic of his theory, Fromm says in Escape from Freedom that freedom, as the process of individualization, means increasing lack of the sense of belonging, which causes that individualized individuals feel lonely when they leave others, and the intolerable loneliness make individuals begin to escape from freedom. That freedom leads to the lack of the sense of belonging and loneliness leads to escaping from freedom are the key point of Fromm’s theory. On the basis of this, Fromm analyzes the psychological mechanism and social performance of escaping freedom and comes up with the method of dealing with escaping from freedom.During the Marx philosophical analysis on the theory of escaping from freedom, it must be considered that the need for the sense of belonging is an abstract need of human’s nature and the theory is based on this, so that the subject of this theory is individual who is beyond classes, and the freedom they pursue is a kind of image of individual value which is over reality. So, in Fromm’s view, the question of fact is only the question of individuals, and the question about modern freedom is only the question that individuals escape from freedom and loneliness when they face freedom. This must also make classes’ oppression and inequality under the condition of capitalist society’s abnormality unexplainable and make people ignore that individuals are not freedom and are powerless about it. So, there are errors in its psychological mechanism of escaping from freedom and the methods of solution.In the field of Marxism, re-explanation on Fromm’s theory of escaping from freedom should be considered that in the modern freedom’s analysis which is logically based on stage human need, freedom, under the condition of capitalism society, doesn’t mean individual’s individualization and loneliness but dissimilation of individual and freedom. It is not that loneliness cause escaping from freedom but that the desire for freedom is unaccomplished. Individuals find themselves powerless when facing freedom. Based on this point, this article re-explains Fromm’s mechanism of escaping from freedom and its social performance, assuming that starting from the basis of realistic society, pursuing communist society, developing productivity and improving social structure are the most fundamental way to accomplish freedom.The transformation from loneliness to powerlessness, as the psychological state when human faces freedom, not only dialectically neglects realistic freedom but also gives us the faith and strength to pursue freedom. It is the result of Marxist philosophical analysis on Fromm’s theory of escaping from freedom and is the correct explanation on the psychological state of freedom which is on the basis of dialectically neglecting metaphysical materialist way of thinking.